


Dancing Without Moving

by Eveningeyes



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Birth Control, Break Up, But how long will this fluff last?, Caught, Complete, Dirty Talk, Dry Humping, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fluff, Gratuitous Smut, HEA, Happily Ever After Fest, Happy Ending, Inspired by Music, Love Confessions, Makeup Sex, Making Out, Nipple Play, Oral Sex, Protected Sex, Red String of Fate, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Shameless Smut, Shower Sex, Smut, Soulmates, Student!Rey, The Force, Thong Play, Vaginal Sex, almost, getting caught, oh yeah and, professor!ben
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2020-08-23 11:24:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20242075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eveningeyes/pseuds/Eveningeyes
Summary: When Engineering Professor Ben Solo goes to his childhood friend Poe Dameron's New Year's Eve party, he never imagines that he would meet a girl as incredible as Rey. He also never imagines that she would end up being his student. Or his soulmate.A fic inspired by Polaroid by Jonas Blue, Liam Payne, and Lennon Stella.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PeaceBlessingsPeyton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeaceBlessingsPeyton/gifts).

> This work was inspired by the LOVELY prompt given to me by PeaceBlessingsPeyton. Both of the songs you mentioned were amazing, but this prompt really spoke to me! I hope this is similar to what you were hoping for, I know that I've had a blast writing it <3 
> 
> Also a big thank you to my beautiful beta, you're a goddess!! <3

It’s only been ten minutes, but Ben Solo feels like the stubborn clock above him is taking an eternity. He rubs the back of his neck, disgusted by the amount of sweat that transferred to his hand, and stares menacingly at the office clock above him, commanding it to turn. He’s not just waiting for 10:30. He’s waiting for the Fall Semester to start.

He’s also waiting for Fall to begin, because frankly, it’s hot as fuck in Tatooine. The steering wheel stings him once he gets into his oven-hot car, the random-if-not-absent gust of wind feels like it came from a jet engine, and there’s dust everywhere, but this new position offered greatly needed change. 

Back on the East Coast, he had felt held back. Sure, everything was going well for him in latent terms (he had a great job at an engineering firm, a neutral yet dispassionate relationship, and was close to his parents) but something felt _ off _. Like he missed the train he was supposed to get on to continue his life, and instead, he just hesitated at the ticket station, staring at his feet.

So he moved. He moved to hot-as-fuck Tatooine, where his childhood friend/Music Therapy professor Poe Dameron lived and acted as a personal reference for Ben at Mos Eisley Academy. It was a _ very _ large school, which took in basically anyone and was probably known more for its fraternity parties than its innovation, but again, he needed a change.

So when the unyielding clock refuses him, his hand digs into his back pocket and searches for the only thing that has given him relief lately. It’s a photograph, specifically a polaroid, of him and a girl at a New Year’s Eve party. His thumb slides gently over her portrait, and like water sinking into sand, his mind slips back to _ that _night.

* * *

EIGHT MONTHS AGO

It’s late December, and Ben’s surprised at how much Tatooine’s winter isn’t winter at all. Even then, Poe and all of his musical-theater friends dress like they’re in Hoth, cozied up in sweaters and boots, yet still clinging to their ice-cold beers. Ben had just got off the plane from Alderaan, only days after breaking up with his girlfriend and leaving his parents a shitty “goodbye” voicemail. And Poe, being both the social butterfly and the intuitive genius that he was, knew Ben wasn’t going to be doing anything for New Year’s and invited him to the kickback at his place.

It would have been perfect if Ben was any good at going to these types of things. But every time he tries to socialize, especially with women, their eyes glaze over and they find some excuse to run away from him. Eventually, he just stops trying. 

Thankfully, his beer’s empty, so at the very least he can find purpose in getting another. He stalks over to the cooler, but when he pops it open, all that’s inside is slushy ice. To his chagrin, this means that he has to resort to the keg, and man, has he ever felt more like a college student. 

All that comes out is foam. _ How the fuck do kids use these anyway? _ He’s about to say fuck it, throw his cup of foam into the gravel yard and go home, when suddenly-

“Need a hand?” a voice that doesn’t sound like it belongs anywhere near here says behind him. He turns, and immediately the scowl that adorns his face drops because the woman in front of him is unlike anything he’s ever seen. She’s tall, thin, but she stands strongly, and her hair is tied up in a messy bun with small pieces falling out. Long earrings with gold stars at the end of them dangle from her earlobes, parallel to a wide, dazzling smile. She’s wearing a casual sweater and dark jeans, but she might as well be wearing a formal gown because he’s utterly transfixed.

It’s all he can do to just gently hand over his plastic cup. She takes it purposefully and shakes the foam out on the gravel, angling it under the keg’s spout confidently and pressing the button, straightening the cup as the beer pours. It’s just pouring beer, but Ben is mesmerized. 

Then he realizes, he hasn’t said anything to her yet and probably looks like a fucking weirdo.

“You’re quite good at that,” he manages to spit out.

“Thanks! I used to work at a pub,” she says. _ She’s British then _. 

The hypnotic, British beer goddess hands him his red cup-now full with dark ale and creamy foam head- with a beaming smile. “Would you like to keep your tab open?” she says, pretending to slip back into her old profession.

He smiles back at her and plays along. “Yes, I would.” _God, she’s beautiful._ It’s dark outside but the flickering Christmas lights along Poe’s porch bring out the radiant green and brown hues of her eyes. They also shed light on the freckles scattered along her face, faint now in the middle of winter. He wonders how they would look in the summer sun because she looks like she belongs in sunlight. 

Realizing that he was still in a conversation and that he could still ruin it, he sticks his free hand out awkwardly. “Ben Solo,” he introduces himself.

“I’m Rey,” she laughs as she shakes his hand with a surprisingly strong grip.

“It’s a pleasure, Rey,” he says as he takes a sip of his beer and almost immediately spits it out, the bitter taste seeping across his tongue and throat. “What the fu- what is this?” 

She takes a long sip, completely unbothered by the acrid taste. “It’s a double IPA.” 

“Why would anyone want to double an IPA?” he says as he looks down his cup in disgust.

She brings her cup back to her lips, hiding a smile. “I can finish yours for you if you want,” she teases. 

Suddenly realizing how dumb he looks, he straightens to his full height. “No, thanks, I’ll manage somehow.” He takes a deep breath and prays that she’ll stay. “So...how do you know Poe?”

They talk for what seems to be minutes but must be hours. Ben isn’t eager to talk about his work, and it doesn’t seem that she is either. But they find other things to talk about, like how Ben’s never known a winter like this, and how Rey doesn’t know a winter _ other _ than this, being from a small town called Jakku just an hour outside Tatooine. He asks about her accent, and she explains that her grandfather is British and that she’s lived with him ever since she can remember. He asks about her parents and feels an instant pang of guilt as she visibly cringes from the question. He assures her that they don’t have to talk about it, and she opens up to him again. 

They laugh together, and they laugh easily. He’s surprised, for only meeting her tonight, he’s the most comfortable he’s been in months. And all he knows is her name.

Suddenly, Poe’s slightly-no-_ very _ drunk and an overly enthusiastic voice breaks through their conversation. “Hey, Ben! The ball’s gonna drop! Get in here!” 

“Shall we?” he asks and guides them inside the warm apartment, his fingertips hovering dangerously close to the small of her back as she steps through the sliding glass door.

The music is unnecessarily loud inside, blaring some sort of punk group that Ben wouldn’t know the name of, and Poe’s guests are already drunk, so in their New Year’s excitement, they start pushing people around. Before he knows it, Rey and Ben have been pushed together too, her hands delicately pressed against his chest and his arms wide around her, blocking any stumbling drunk from bumping into her. 

“I’m sorry!” he shouts, but the mix of the crowd and the music drowns his voice.

“What?” she shouts back. He shakes his head and tries again, but the countdown to the new year has already begun, and the crowd’s craziness overpowers his ability to communicate. All he can do now is try to keep Rey from being trampled by hipsters. 

_ Five! _

It’s not the ideal arrangement, but he’s happy to not be alone.

_ Four! _

It’s the first time he hasn’t felt alone for a long time.

_ Three! _

He hopes she feels the same.

_ Two! _

He hopes she stays a little bit longer.

_ One! _

_ HAPPY NEW YEAR!! _

Dozens of drunk people start cheering and hugging around them, kissing each other without shame or preference. Ben avoids Rey’s eyes, afraid to make her feel obligated to kiss him, afraid to watch her be kissed by some other guy, or maybe afraid of something else altogether. But when she places her free hand on his cheek and turns it towards her, he can’t do anything but stare.

“Shall we?” she yells, her voice barely audible over the loud cheering.

He nods, because that’s all he can communicate as he leans down as she steps up, and they kiss. Her lips taste a little like that bitter IPA, and a little like peaches, and a little like sunshine. He glides into it as their surroundings fade away, dipping into her like slipping beneath surface water. He enjoys the fullness of the lips that slide along his own and the gentle flicker of her tongue. Already, he’s addicted to her mouth, which is hot and wet, and he feels like a teenager because he’s hard, just from kissing this girl he barely even knows. 

She breaks away, leaning back to blink at him slowly, the green specks in her brown eyes almost _ glowing. _

“Say Happy New Year!” Some random guy shouts and -_ flash!- _takes their picture with an old Polaroid camera. “Here you go!” he says while handing over the small photo to Ben. 

It’s a black and grey image, still warm from the printer and just beginning to develop. Ben lifts his head to thank the photographer, but the guy has already disappeared into the crowd.

“You should keep it!” Rey says. “Here.” She pulls on his hand and drags him to the kitchen, where she grabs a marker and scribbles her name down under the photo. She hesitates like she’s going to write more, but ends up putting the marker down and reaches into her back pocket instead. With her phone out, Ben sees that the blue light illuminates a worried complexion.

“Hey, I -um- I have to take this. I’ll be right back!” she says to him while bringing the phone to her ear and slipping between the sliding glass doors.

“Okay!” Ben calls after her. He picks up the Polaroid. It’s still pretty warm, but he can see the outlines of two figures begin to show. He runs a hand through his hair, allowing himself to bask in this unexpected joy. He thinks of her lips while he waits for the photo to develop. 

And waits.

And waits.

But she doesn’t come back.

* * *

PRESENT DAY

He’s waited a long time for her to come back into his life. He knows, rationally, that it was fitting for her to be whisked away as effortlessly as she entered. But no matter how much he tries to put logic into the matter, he still feels burned. He’s looked for her everywhere, and sometimes has sworn he’s seen her, but it’s never really the girl he met that night. He’s even asked Poe about her, but Poe doesn’t seem to remember much of anything about that night, except for waking up to a stranger of his own.

Sometimes, Ben has to look at the polaroid to remember that Rey is even real, that it wasn’t just a dream he had after getting too drunk at Poe’s or something. She had to be real, right? That kiss was real enough, maybe the most real thing he’s felt in a long time.

With a long sigh, he looks at the photo as he’s done a thousand times. Yet this time, he notices something he hasn’t seen before. 

_ That’s funny. _ He squints at the picture, noticing a blood-red string that drapes over him and Rey. _ What an odd type of confetti. Film people, I guess. _

Suddenly his phone buzzes and he finally notices the time. 

_ Shit! _

* * *

Ben’s shins burn like fire as he runs to class, almost getting run over by kids on bikes and longboards, his heavy bookbag flopping against his thighs as he sprints. He’s already twelve minutes late, and two blocks from campus. Three more minutes and they’ll all leave. Three more minutes and he starts the semester looking like the biggest idiot. 

He bursts through the door, the sweat of anxiety and a hundred-degree heat rolling down his face in beads. The door smacks against the lecture hall’s concrete walls loudly, calling the attention of a hundred pairs of eyes.

He clears his throat, which is tight and stuffy from his recent sprint and shuffles down the lecture hall’s stairs, a cascade of whispers rippling out from behind him. 

Right before the last step, he drops his papers. _ Way to go, idiot, _he scolds himself. A girl with no face gets out of her chair and bends down to help him, but he snaps at her. “It’s fine, thanks.” 

He’s incredibly sweaty, and knowing that they can all probably see that- or God forbid _ smell _that- makes him sweat even more. But he can’t run away now, so he tosses his book bag onto the podium, slides his memory stick into the computer, and as the grey Powerpoint flickers on the screen, he faces the class.

“Hello,” he breathes. “I am Professor Solo, and this is Physics for Engineers.”

His eyes search the room, where dozens of curious eyes, glazed eyes, and shut eyes stare back at him. 

And then, down in the front row, a pair of dazzled hazel eyes, one that could be seen a mile away they sparkled so brightly, blink at him curiously. 

Suddenly, all of the air in the world wouldn’t be enough. Because those eyes, those richly green jewels of the earth, belong to the girl he just barked at when she tried to help him pick up his papers. Because those same eyes belong to the girl in his wallet. Because it’s her, it’s Rey.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *squeals*
> 
> I'm having so much fun with this one, I hope you liked it too! Thank you for reading!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After months apart, Ben and Rey talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot express how amazing it was to see the reaction to the first chapter! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who's low-key obsessed with this prompt! Hahah 💕
> 
> My beautiful beta, you are the sun and I am just a small blade of grass basking in your warmth 💕 Thank you so much bb 💕
> 
> Thank you for reading and enjoy Chapter 2!

Ben struggles to get through the first lecture, which,_ thank God _, is just reviewing the syllabus. With each word, he can feel Rey’s eyes on him, blazing a path of wildfire over his skin.

“I will not tolerate cheating in any form, per the Academy’s Code of Conduct. Should you break this code, I will have no problems reporting you to the Dean for expulsion.” He leans into the podium for dramatic effect. “I would tell you to ask the students who made this mistake last semester, but they don’t go to Mos Eisley Academy anymore.” 

The room stilled with a heavy silence. 

“Your grades will consist of three exams and online homework. I do not give opportunities for extra credit or makeup exams. This is because in the real world, there are no make-ups or do-overs. Learn this now and you may have a chance of success.” 

Ben paces between the giant lecture screen and the podium, his hands constantly switching in and out of his pockets as he continues with the syllabus.

“Although there is a textbook for this course, the majority of the material you will need will come from my PowerPoint presentations.” He raises a hand to point behind him, then dials it back to point at himself. “And me.” Fifty hands shoot into the air. “And no, I do not record my lectures. If you haven’t already started taking notes, I suggest you start now.”

The sound of a hundred frantic pencils and keyboards fill the humid summer air as Ben’s terrified students begin to take notes. _ They’ve all forgotten that embarrassing entrance now _, he thinks. All, he notices, except for Rey, who just rests her face on her palm, her lips curled in an almost-smile. 

_ What’s that about? _

“Alright, let’s begin.” He clicks the computer’s keyboard and the PowerPoint flips to the next slide, which only shows a dull diagram. He hears the groans of frustrated students, which brings a wide grin to his face. “Chapter One: Force vectors.”

_ …30-50 minutes later... _

“Mastering Physics is due Friday at 11:59 PM,” Ben’s voice carries out to the class as the students pack up their things and head out. He can hear their bewilderment in the crowd. 

_ “Friday? Does he mean the day after tomorrow?” _

_ “I think so…” _

_ “Are you fucking kidding me?” _

Their frustration calms him, knowing that they’ll never mistake him for a fool again.

Before he can even reach for his water bottle, a horde of students have already formed a line in front of his podium. They wear shirts that say things like:_ “Don’t drink and derive” _ and _ “I’m an engeeneer, I’m an engineir, I’m good at math” _ and they ask questions that he’s already answered either in the lecture or in the syllabus, all things that make him want to roll his eyes. But when he talks to them, he smooths his voice in a way that eases their furrowed brows and clenched fists. And when they leave, he feels less like a villain. 

Finally, alone, he takes a well-deserved, impossibly deep breath.

“That was quite the speech,” a foreign-yet-familiar voice laughs from behind him. He turns and sees Rey, who clutches her laptop case sheepishly as she tucks a short, chestnut-brown lock behind her ear, revealing a small gold hoop. “I _ almost _believed you were a monster.” 

“First impressions are quite important,” he murmurs, wondering about the implication of the phrase as it leaves his lips. “I need them to take this class seriously.”

She straightens. “You could have done that without scaring them.”

He huffs while sticking his folder into his book bag. “I didn’t realize you were a student.”

She hugs her laptop case closer, sheepish again. “Yeah, I suppose I didn’t mention it.”

“What are you pursuing?”

“Civil engineering, with a minor in philosophy.” 

“Philosophy?” A vision of his uncle, Luke, flashes before his eyes, and anger rises in his chest. “I wouldn’t have guessed that.”

Her eyebrows pull together and then return to their normal position, almost too quickly for Ben to notice. “Why?”

“Well,” he began, “for starters, you seem too smart to be spending your time wondering about the nature of the Force.”

Now her eyebrows scrunch together without hesitation. “Um...thanks? But philosophy is a perfectly qualifiable degree.”

“Maybe, but you wouldn’t be able to get a job with it.”

“How do you know that?” Her voice is louder, clearer. 

He sips his water, unbothered, before saying, “I watch it happen all the time.”

“Well you don’t know me,” she snaps, and it stings.

“No, I don’t,” he scoffs, equally hurt as he is offended, and adds venom to his next statement. “I wanted to know you, but then you left.”

“I…” her eyes are wide with panic, becoming glassy as she backs away from him. _ Too much venom. Way to go, asshole. _ She keeps opening her mouth and then closing it as if she wants to say something but the words don’t come. “I have to go,” she finally spits out. “See you on Friday.”

And before he knew it he was alone in the lecture hall, now truly feeling like a villain.

* * *

When he gets back to his office, he’s defeated. Maybe it’s the blistering heat or that disaster of a reunion with Rey, but he’s so exhausted that he drops his bag on the floor without any thought of the important papers inside and collapses in his office chair.

Closing his eyes, he leans back and tries to let all of the energy in his body drain away. Maybe he can liquify, slither down the squeaky leather chair and sink into the grey nylon carpet, lost forever to the depths of the hot earth below him. But every time he gets close to falling asleep, a vision of her hazel eyes flash in his mind, or the shine of her gold hoops under the fluorescent lights, or that knowing smile that curled her lips while he talked about homework assignments. 

His eyelids rip apart, the idea of sleep completely useless now. He rubs his knuckles into his eyes with a prolonged groan before waking his desktop to life and logging into his email. Already, there’s an enormity of emails from frustrated students, even some from overprotective parents, but none of them catch his eye like the one snuggled in the middle of his feed.

** _ Professor Solo, _ **

** _ Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot earlier today, and for that, I apologize. More than anything I wish for us to have an amicable and successful relationship this semester. _ **

** _ That being said, #23 on the Mastering homework is incorrect. The correct answer is 24, not 23.7, as the question asks for two significant figures. Thought you should know. _ **

** _ Best, _ **

** _ Rey Kenobi _ **

Ben laughs at his screen, a familiar light feeling bubbling in his chest as he reads Rey’s email over and over, hearing her voice in his ears as he does so.

_ Rey Kenobi, _ he thinks. _ What else am I going to find out about you? _

Suddenly, a loud rapping at his door tears Ben away from Rey’s email. To his surprise, it’s Poe.

“Hey man, how’s your first day goin?” he asks cheerfully as he leans against Ben’s doorframe. 

Ben tries to suppress the grin tugging at his lips, but to no avail. So he answers truthfully. “Uh...good. Great, actually! Are we still up for drinks tonight?”

Poe’s suave smile falters a bit, and Ben doesn’t even have to hear his next words to know what he’s going to say. “Well, you see...” he begins.

“You have a date,” Ben finishes for him. 

Poe’s hands fly in front of his chest in subconscious defense. “Yes, but look, this isn’t some random fling, this one is really special, and in any other circumstance, you know I wouldn’t flake on you…” He’s trailing off while rubbing the back of his neck. “But…”

“But this one is special,” Ben repeats, he’s heard it before.

Poe sighs and puts on his softest impression of a puppy, his rich brown eyes glimmering with guilt and selfish purpose. Ben laughs and shakes his head. “It’s okay, I’ve already got a ton of emails to sift through anyhow,” he assures while pointing at his screen with his open hand. 

Poe laughs too, clearly relieved. “How many from upset parents?”

“Ten.”

“Starting the semester off right, I say.” 

Ben chuckles, “I’d agree.” 

Unexpectedly, a tight-fisted professor with a sickly complexion pushes past Poe and comes up directly in front of Ben’s desk. “Dr. Solo, the Dean requests your presence at tomorrow’s six AM meeting,” the pasty, copper-haired man insists.

Ben’s jaw tenses. As a leader of the Statistics (or as Ben liked to call it, Sadistics) department and second hand to Dean Snoke himself, Dr. Hux was an extreme precisionist and an absolute kiss-ass. “It’s very kind of you to make me aware, Armitage, though I did receive your four previous emails about it earlier today,” Ben articulates. 

Hux inhales sharply, unable to press any further. “So, I can count on your arrival then?”

Ben hisses his reply, “Yes.”

As Hux leaves, Poe’s eyes follow him, then return to Ben while mouthing “What the fuck?”

Ben could only shrug, which leads to a stretch and a yawn, the day’s events finally catching up to him. 

After a dozen apologies and a dozen more thanks, Poe leaves with a skip in his step that almost makes Ben roll his eyes. Almost, because that same feeling fills him up too, making his feet carry him absently as he walks to his car, making his lips whistle along to a pop-song while he’s stuck in traffic, and causing him to toss and turn endlessly that hot summer night, praying for it to be Friday already so he could stare into those hazel eyes all over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's Ben whistling along to in the car? Wrong answers only ;) 
> 
> Also, I really don't mean to bash on anyone's degree here... so if you're pursuing Philosophy or Stats or even Underwater Basket Weaving, know that I support you and I'm just trying (failing) to be funny! Much love and thanks again for reading! 💕


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben finds Rey in a peculiar place and later discovers how much of an effect she has on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I cannot begin to explain how much the feedback on this has warmed my heart! Thank you a thousand times! ❤️❤️❤️
> 
> My beautiful beta, your love and generosity know no bounds and I'm forever grateful for everything that you do for me (and many more✨💕 )
> 
> I hope you like this chapter, I added a little heat ;) 🔥🔥🔥

Friday couldn’t come soon enough. Ben gets to his office much earlier than necessary, early enough that the desert air isn’t even hot yet, only because he’s so eager to get the day started. He checks his email, deleting Dr. Hux’s urgent memos that keep reappearing, then goes over his lecture notes, then checks his email again, anything to make the seconds go by faster. His office clock must be broken because it’s obviously stubborn and frustratingly slow. By ten, he’s about to rip it from the wall and smash it into oblivion.

_ Maybe a coffee could pass the time? _

The Moonbucks line is so long that it stretches out of the Memorial Union building, but the baristas seem to know what they’re doing because the line moves quickly enough. Coffee grinders spin endlessly, steam whips milk into silk-like foam, and students type purposefully on their laptops, while others argue about the use of straws. And as if the Force itself was answering his prayers (not that he prayed to the Force anymore or anything), he sees a familiar head of short, brunette hair just a few people ahead of him in line. Today she’s wearing a short summer dress, clover green with small yellow flower-print, and her tan shoulders are glistening under the thin straps. He’s not above cutting in line, so he moves past multiple students, who are too busy on their phones to notice him anyway, and leans close to Rey’s ear.

“Ms. Kenobi, you’re going to be late for class.”

“Oh!” Rey yelps. She turns, looking up at him with wide eyes and an even wider smile as she pulls an earphone out of her left ear. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were there! I absolutely _ cannot _ function without my morning tea.”

She re-adjusts her books and laptop case, the movement causing one of her straps to slide down her shoulder, and Ben’s brain wavers for a moment. Rey continues to talk, but he can’t hear her until a student scream-sneezes behind him, frightening him out of his stupor and back into the conversation. “Uh.” He wets his dry mouth and rubs the tense muscles in his neck. “Yeah, me too.”

Desperate to find something to talk about, he looks at what she’s holding. She’s cradling a book titled _ The Living Force _ and Ben desperately wants to say something snarky about it but decides not to, based on how well that topic went over a few days ago. 

“What are you listening to?” he asks instead as they move up the line.

She holds up her earphones as an offering, and Ben leans close to her while gingerly taking one and placing it into his ear as she returns hers. Together they listen as a gentle guitar plays and a young man’s smooth voice sings. 

_ Baby, tell me when you're ready _

_ I'm waitin' _

_ Baby, anytime you're ready _

_ I'm waitin' _

_ Even ten years from now _

_ If you haven't found somebody _

_ I promise, I'll be around _

_ Tell me when you're ready _

_ I'm waitin' _

“Beautiful,” he says as they approach the registers. Rey beams, a sight that hits Ben like a wave. 

“I thought so too,” she replies.

“Next please!” the barista calls. Though Rey doesn’t move.

He swears she looks at his lips. 

And wets her own. 

“Next!” 

“I think…” Ben murmurs as he looks in the direction of the impatient barista.

“Oh, right! Sorry,” Rey says breathlessly as she tucks a brunette lock behind her ear and rushes to the register. While she orders, _hot tea with honey, _he mentally notes, Ben checks his watch.

_ Shit. 10:22. _

He rushes up to the register, credit card in hand. “We’ve got to go,” he says as the barista takes his card hesitantly, a pinched expression twisting her face. 

“Wait, what about you?” Rey protests.

“Uh, just a black coffee? Small, thanks.” 

“You mean a tall?” the barista groans while swiping his card.

“Yeah, whatever, that’s fine.”

After a few minutes the barista hands over their drinks unenthusiastically, and Ben takes both in his hands as he and Rey rush to the lecture hall. When they arrive, he hands Rey her drink, but before she can finish saying thank you, he bolts through the door. 

* * *

During the lecture, Ben can’t help but look at Rey. His eyes flicker in her direction every time she brings her drink to her lips, switches her crossed legs or checks her buzzing phone. He’ll be talking about Kinematic Quantities and suddenly she will adjust her dress’ straps, causing him to want nothing more than to rip that sorry little green thing off of her and make her squirm in that tiny desk. 

_ You are such a distraction, _he realizes. 

After class is over, Rey stands by her seat until the last of his worried students leave.

“Thank you for buying my tea this morning,” she says, her fingers caressing her other arm absently. Then her complexion twists in a frown as she darts for her purse. “Let me pay you back!”

Ben shakes his head. “No, no. It’s nothing.”

Her hands are still digging for her wallet when she asks, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Rey, of course.”

She retracts her hands and ponders for a moment, her fingertips grazing her bitten lips before it clicks in her mind and her face brightens again. “Monday! I’ll buy you coffee on Monday, so we’re even!”

“Um…” He should say no, because his mother taught him better, but also because it could look suspicious to some people on campus. But the promise of seeing her again…

“Okay,” he agrees without a second thought. 

On Monday (and Wednesday, Friday, and so forth) they meet in the middle of a busy Moonbucks line, where she offers her earphones and they listen to her music together as they wait to place their orders.

Each time, she always makes him laugh, and he never lets her pay for coffee.

* * *

Sometimes, when Ben needs to get work done but he also needs to avoid Armitage Hux at all costs, he finds himself bringing his work to the Kaan Library. Not on the common floor, where most students work (grovel) together, but actually between the books themselves, where there’s a very slim chance that anyone will bother him. He creates lecture plans, writes exams, and brushes up on current literature. It’s not as comfortable as his office, sure, but something is exhilarating about being surrounded by knowledge, and it inspires him as much as it fuels him to inspire others. 

He’s clicking his pen (a nervous habit) when he sees a slight figure rush past the hallway, the scent of apricots and sunscreen wafting in their wake. Curious, he leaves his laptop and papers behind and pokes his head out into the hall. The figure almost evades his sight as it clips the corner, the ends of a short brunette bob bouncing with ferocious purpose.

Ben’s breathing hitches as he immediately understands and follows Rey around the corner. When he finds her, he leans against the bookshelf and selfishly admires her fascinating, determined nature.

She’s searching for something specific, her thin fingers dancing along the fabric binds of the books, murmuring the author’s names under her breath. 

“Skater, Skie, Skotsky…”

Stretching for the top row, the hem of her cropped T-shirt lifts a bit, revealing supple, well-sunned skin. Ben’s back floods with a warmth that travels up to his ears, which are thankfully hidden beneath piles of his shaggy hair. He can’t help but also stare at her ass, because as she’s reaching she pokes her hips out, which calls attention to the way it fits so fucking _ nicely _ in her jeans. He wants to touch it, palm her through the tough fabric and hear her moan against the old books, all of which are dangerous thoughts that make his cock hard and wanting.

“Looking for something?” he asks, predatory darkness smoothing his voice like honey.

Rey whips around, startled, (_why was he always surprising her?) _“Oh!” she gasps.“It’s you,” she adds as she places a hand on her heart and tries to catch her breath. “You scared me. What are you doing here?” 

_ I’m here because I can’t resist you, _ he wants to say.

“I like to do my work here,” he replies instead as he lifts himself from the shelf and slowly makes his way closer, his eyes locked with hers. “It’s...quiet.”

“Right, hardly anyone ever comes up here,” she laughs awkwardly, but it fades as he approaches her like an animal, causing her to retreat slowly until her backside is tight against the books. “Perfect conditions for...working.”

Her wide eyes dart over his body and when he steps closer than the considered “professional” distance, she visibly swallows. 

“And you?” he pries, now less than an arm’s length apart.

She nods swiftly and reaches her hand behind her, careful not to touch him as it slides against the books, and points at the top shelf. “I was looking for a book,” she says under her breath because he’s very close now.

“A book?” he murmurs while taking in her scent as it drifts from her neck. _ Apricot? Peach? Either way, I want to devour you. _

“Yes,” she breathes. She’s closer now too, her lips red and wet as he takes his hand and snakes it over hers, his contact faint enough that their skin barely touches. He leans in closer to her as she closes her eyes, waiting for him to break that boundary, to step over that dangerous line.

And that’s all he wants to do, but instead, his reaching hand moves past hers and lands on an ancient, fabric-bound book, pulling it out and placing it in her warm little hand.

“Skywalker, I presume?” he whispers, and her eyes flutter open as her pursed lips fade into a slight frown.

“Um,” she clears her throat quietly. “Yes. Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Ben backs out of her personal space, the absence of her warmth comparable to the sun hiding behind a thick cloud. 

Yet he still feels like he’s on fire.

“I’ll see you in class, Ms. Kenobi,” he says as he leaves, desperate to create as much distance between them before he loses his senses. Before he runs back and kisses her against a wall of Philosophy texts. Or rips her clothes off with his teeth.

When he leaves the library, the hot desert air hits him with such voracity that he almost doesn’t notice his phone buzzing in his pocket. It’s Poe.

“Hey, are you down for a drink?” he asks excitedly.

Ben shuffles towards his car as Rey’s most recent impression on him makes it difficult to walk correctly. Looking down, he realizes he could use a drink, and maybe a cold shower too.

“Definitely.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that Ben and Rey are listening to in the coffee shop is from another prompt, "When You're Ready" by Shawn Mendes. It's too beautiful to NOT include in this story as well <3
> 
> What's YOUR Moonbucks order? ;) Leave a comment and let me know (or don't, that's fine too lmao) 💕 Thanks for reading! 🥰


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben makes a decision about his maybe-relationship with Rey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Thank you, everyone, for your continued love and support on this fic! It truly warms my heart you guys have no idea 💕 Thank you thank you thank you! BUT ALSO NOW THAT ANON IS OFF I CAN THANK REBECCA (aka LoveOfEscapism) FOR BEING MY GORGEOUS BETA. BB YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE! THE CREAM IN MY COFFEE! 
> 
> Also, I HAVE UPDATED THE TAGS. CHECK THEM PLEASE! lol. AKA SMUT INCOMING!! 
> 
> Oh AND, we have a LOVELY moodboard for this chapter made by the amazing JuniorDreamer (who wrote the FLUFFIEST, CUTEST fic recently (literally I have never read 3k words so fast lol)) So thank you my Reysister!!! You're the best!
> 
> Lastly before we begin, I have heard from a few of you that you'd like to know more about how the whole Soulmates AU works with this fic, and all I can say is that it IS there, and it IS going to be a big part of this story, but it may not be as obvious as other Soulmate fics. Thank you for understanding 💕
> 
> Enjoy! 💕

The blazing heat from his latest _ interaction _ with Rey has subdued considerably by the time Ben meets Poe at Maz’s, but the cool glass countertop still feels amazing against his hot skin. He sips something closer to water than beer and listens while Poe goes on and on about his date. Which is fine, since Ben doesn’t have much to say anyway.

“Well, first we got dinner at Cantina, then we walked around Tosche Marketplace for hours just talking and going into random shops and ended up going into a bookstore of all places, picking out our favorite books from when we were kids. Then we got ice cream and I got to hear about why gelato is better than frozen yogurt, if not only for the shovel-like spoons.”

“You? In a bookstore? I can’t see it,” Ben laughs.

“Very funny,” Poe warns while he shoves Ben’s shoulder. “I’m serious man, I’ve got it bad. I could follow this guy anywhere.”

Ben’s eyebrows raise curiously as he takes another sip. “Anywhere? Even a football game?”

Poe’s features fall flat. “I’d…make an exception...only because I’m sure he looks great in a jersey.”

“Wow. Well, in that case, he’s got my vote. I’m happy for you, Poe.”

“Really?”

“Yeah man, of course!” Ben raises his glass.

Poe’s smile brightens as he clinks his glass with Ben’s. “Well, what about you?” he asks after he finishes his beer.

“What about me?” Ben coughs as the bubbles catch in his throat.

“Well, have you talked to anyone special recently? I know you were hung up on that girl from New Year’s but it’s been a while, Ben. Do you want me to set you up with Bazine Netal from Linguistics?”

Ben pictures Dr. Netal with her long dark hair and affinity with latex. “Uh, no, thanks.”

“Are you sure? I hear she can speak fourteen languages. That’s fourteen different role plays right there!”

That familiar heat rushes up to Ben’s ears again. “No, I um…” _ Come on, spit it out, you coward. _ “I have someone else in mind.”

“What?!”

“Yeah…”

“Since when?!”

Ben swallows, “You know that girl from New Years?”

“No. Fucking. Way. You found her?!” Poe leans back in his chair, his eyes wide with excitement, but all that Ben can manage to reply with is a shaky “_ Yeah _.”

“That’s amazing, man! How did you find her again?”

“Uh…on campus.” _ Not a lie, technically. _

“What does she teach?”

“She...doesn’t, she’s working on _ other _ projects right now.” _ Like her degree Solo, you idiot. _

Suddenly, Poe’s excitement falters as all the pieces connect in his brain. “Wait, Ben, is she a student?”

“Well...”

“Oh. My. _ God. _ You’re fucking a student?!” Poe all but announces to the crowded bar.

Ben’s head whips around frantically, making sure that no one heard them. “Can you not say it so fuckin’ loud? And we’re not, we’re just…_ interested _ in each other…” It dawns on him that he has no idea if his affections are reciprocated. “I think.” 

Poe’s smile is bright and unfailing as he smacks his friend’s back with surprising vigor. “Oh, this is great! I never thought you had it in you, Ben, I didn’t. But boy, was I wrong!” His giddiness is so childlike, it’s slightly annoying. “You know what? Let’s drink!” Poe says as he smacks the bartop with his hand and starts attempting to flag down the bartender.

“Wait, you’re not worried?” Ben asks.

Poe scoffs, “Of course not. _ Lots _ of professors date students and they never get in trouble. Especially if they’re as important to the Academy as you are! It’s not like she’s _ your _ student right? So, you’re good!”

Suddenly, Ben’s throat feels like he swallowed a bee.

“Right, Ben?” Poe repeats as he orders another round.

“Right,” Ben squeaks.

“So what _ is _ this newly found beauty studying?”

“Philosophy.” _ Also not a lie. _

“Oh, so like the Force and stuff?”

“Mmhmm.”

He snickers. “Does she think you’re soulmates or something?” Poe says as he wiggles his eyebrows.

“I don’t think so. I don’t...I don’t know.” Ben suddenly feels a tightness in his chest, the kind that always accompanies the mention of his uncle’s work. 

It must be evident, because Poe’s devilish look softens. “Well, that’s cool. I mean, not what I’d expect you to be interested in but hey, I’m happy for you.” Finally, the bartender sets their full beers on the bartop. “Cheers!”

Poe lifts his drink to Ben, and they tap hard enough that some beer slides down the side of the pint glass and over their fingers.

* * *

Ben thinks about Poe’s statement a lot. Tonight, it’s in his lofty, undecorated apartment before Wednesday lecture. _ As long as she’s not _ your _ student. _He could wait until the semester is over, or until she graduates, and then start getting to know her. That’s only a couple years from now, right? He could wait for her.

_ But would she wait for you? _

A cold, muggy wetness covers Ben as the thought settles itself into his mind. Rey is nothing short of mesmerizing with her intelligence and kindness alone, but paired with her addictively bright outlook and simple yet stark beauty, she was perfect. Anyone would have her.

And if she wanted to, she could have anyone.

* * *

The thought plagues his mind like venom the next day, slowly giving him small doses of anger any time he thinks of someone else having her.

Like during Wednesday’s lecture, when he’s going over the midterm review and he notices that she’s not paying attention like she usually does. She’s barely looked at him in the last thirty minutes because her eyes are practically glued to her phone. And to make it even worse, she’s smiling. _ Beaming _.

_ Who the fuck are you texting? _ his poisoned mind wonders. 

By mid-lecture, he catches her on her phone again and when she bites her bottom lip, he explodes.

Walking straight up to her desk, his voice is strong and clear. “As stated in the syllabus, texting is _ not _ allowed in class, as it’s not only a distraction to you and the other students but for me as well. If you have more important matters, take them outside,” he booms directly at her. 

Rey shudders with shock, her phone falling out of her fingers and clattering on the desk. A blush blooms on her face as her hazel eyes stretch wide and deer-like. 

“Is that clear?!” he seethes. Her cheeks redden as she nods.

“Good.” Ben turns back to the powerpoint, as silence falls over the room like a thick blanket.

* * *

After class, Rey apologizes for texting during the lecture.

“Who was it?” Ben asks without thinking.

She stiffens, but her tone isn’t offended at all. “None of your business!”

He scoffs and starts gathering his papers, “Well, it’s distracting to the other students.”

Rey’s eyebrows lift and her mouth twists in a smirk. “The other students? Or _ you _?”

He doesn’t say anything.

She laughs, “Oh my God! Are you jealous?”

“I just don’t want you texting in class!” He barks, then after taking a deep breath, “You need to focus on the material.”

Now she scoffs. “You and I both know that I know the material very well.” She steps closer to his podium. “Besides, he’s just a friend.”

_ So it _ was _ a he?! _“Uh-huh.”

Rey curls around the podium and places a slender hand on the stained wood. “He was telling me about his recent date.”

“With you?” Ben blurts out.

“With a _ guy, _” she corrects.

_ Oh. _“Oh,” he murmurs.

She smiles again, this time knowingly, and she picks a piece of lint from his tie. “Yeah, _ oh _. It’s cute though, you being jealous.”

Ben swallows. “I never said-”

Rey beams at him again before quickly leaving his podium and picking up her books from her desk. “You didn’t need to,” she laughs as she begins to prance up the lecture hall’s stairs.

As he watches her, he realizes that waiting until the end of the semester is going to be a lot harder than he thought. 

“See you on Friday, Dr. Solo.” 

* * *

Ben enjoys the eerie quiet of exam days. He likes the finality of them, even though they will start with new material in the next lecture. He also likes to watch the students as they scribble down their answers, their faces scrunched in confusion until (_ aha! _) they figure it out. He would never admit it, as it would hurt his fearful reputation, but deep down he hopes that every student can conquer his class. 

Of course, Rey is the first to turn in her exam. Today she’s wearing a long, hushed pink dress that wraps around her waist gently and flows angelically with her every step. Ben wants to find out what happens when he pulls the wraps but pushes the thought away as she approaches his desk.

“Don’t go easy on me,” she says as she hands over the stack of papers.

Ben chuckles, “You know I don’t grade these, right? That’s what Mitaka is for.” He lifts his chin in the direction of his TA, a grad student who is very close to falling asleep on a pile of papers. 

Rey grins. “It _ was _ pretty simple. Though, I was kinda stumped on number twenty-nine. I was hoping...we could go over it together?” There’s something to the way she says it, like she’s nervous or something.

Ben flips to the page. “It doesn’t look like you-”

She interrupts him by placing her hand over the exam, her fingers grazing his ever so slightly. “So your office hours, then?” she whispers.

Suddenly, he understands, his cock twitching in his pants. “Um, yeah, see you then.”

* * *

Ben paces in his office like a trapped animal, his mind an uncontrolled forest fire. 

_ Fuck, I look like a fucking mess! _ He gathers loose papers and stuffs them into a drawer, knowing fully well that he’ll hate himself for it later. He sighs, then instantly grimaces as he catches a whiff his ghastly coffee breath. _ Fuck! _ Popping a mint (or five), he feels slightly better, though now he can’t tell if his breath smells normal or like minty coffee. Which of those is worse, he has no idea. He sits at his desk, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins makes sitting impossible. He tries standing by his office bookshelf instead, pretending to read, but after a few minutes, he groans and slumps back into his chair because he just looks like a creep. 

Checking the clock again, not five minutes have passed. His office hours start at three, and there’s a very real possibility that Rey won’t show up at all, but Ben can’t think about anything else. When her hand grazed him, the touch shocked him in a way that traveled up his arm, through his spine, and flickered through his hips. Paired with the devilish twinkle in her eye, he understood or _ thought _ he understood what that meant.

But then again, she really could just want help understanding the exam problem. 

Ben groans again and runs his hands through his hair, his dense fingers massaging his aching scalp as he hisses under his breath.

“Dr. Solo?” a faint voice says from above him.

Ben whips his head up, his hair a furious dark mess and eyes wild as he sees Rey peek from behind his door.

“The door was shut...I didn’t know if you were busy,” she continues hesitantly.

“No, no,” Ben reassures, “I’m not busy, come in.”

Rey slips through the slim doorway seamlessly, the frills of her dress dancing with her every move. “Should I keep this open, or…”

“No, you can close it, I don’t want Hux knowing I’m here,” Ben directs. A blush blossoms on Rey’s cheeks as she gently pushes the door closed. As the hinge clicks, she turns around slowly.

She smiles and tucks an errant hair behind her ear. Ben thinks he smiles back, but it’s just as likely that what he does is awkwardly grimace.

The silence grows heavy in the air.

As she hugs her laptop, he wonders what she needs, until it dawns on him. She has nowhere to fucking _ sit _. Ben rarely has guests in his office, so he doesn’t have chairs, except for one fold up garage sale steal tucked behind his bookcase. He rushes to it, unfolding the stubborn rusted metal with unexpected force and sets it down for her. “Sorry,” he mumbles.

“Thank you,” she says as she sits down on the dusty seat, the chair sagging a bit that makes both of them visibly nervous. “Don’t have many visitors then, I imagine?” Rey asks while setting her things against the faulty chair leg. 

“No, not really,” he replies. The awkward silence is back, and more tortuous than ever. “So, how can I help you?” Ben finally asks, his heartbeat drowning out the sound of his voice.

Rey takes a deep breath and straightens her posture. “I need to get something off of my chest.”

Ben’s mind would go down the dirty route, but his stomach is too knotted for him to do anything except hang on her every word. A dangerous thought slithers around his mind. _ What if she’s here to reject me? _

“What is it?” he asks with a mouth that has suddenly turned very dry.

She laughs as she takes another deep breath. “Wow, this is a lot harder with you here.” 

He laughs too, but what comes out is a dry, breathy thing that sounds more like a wheeze and he hates himself for it. As the silence drags on, he materializes how probable it is that she’s here to cut ties with him, and his throat swells.

Rey shuts her eyes and shakes her head, before blurting out, “Do you like me?”

Ben’s breathing halts. Or maybe he forgets how to breathe. Or both.

“What?” he croaks. 

“Do you _ like _ me?” she repeats.

“Um, Ms. Kenobi, I…”

Her eyes shoot open. “You _ have _ to call me Rey or else I won’t be able to do this!”

_ Do what? _

“Okay, _ Rey _, I don’t think-”

“Because, I like you!” she interrupts, loudly. “I really, _ really _ like you. And I know the rules. Trust me, I looked them up. But…I just… can’t _ help _ this feeling that there’s something between us. And I have to know if I’m alone in feeling that?”

Now Ben definitely can’t breathe. He can only stare at her, completely frozen. The room turns cold. _ Fucking idiot! Say SOMETHING! _But he can’t move. Rey’s eyes turn glassy, as if her hazel irises have sunk underwater, and she gathers her things in a hurry. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so foolish,” she says with a twinge in her voice that makes Ben want to cry. “Please just forget that I ever came here.”

She swings her purse across her shoulder and stands, the creaky chair groaning in protest. She’s got her hand wrapped around the doorknob when suddenly-

“Wait!” Ben shoots up from his desk, his hands spread across the space in front of him, panting. Rey freezes, the doorknob in her hand already turned. 

“Please, wait,” Ben repeats and rushes around his desk to meet her at the door. With one hand, he presses the door closed firmly. With the other, he covers her hand and she releases the doorknob. 

Ben breathes deeply, because he can’t lie to her, and he can’t resist her. Not anymore.

“You’re not alone.”

Rey blinks and a tear escapes, sliding down the hill of her cheek. Ben lifts his hand and tenderly wipes it away with his thumb. He rubs her soft skin tenderly before leaning down and gently pressing his lips to hers. 

Rey tastes exactly as she smells. Like summer fruit and desert wind, except so much sweeter and he can’t get enough of her. His hand slides from her cheek to the nape of her neck, cradling her skull in the thick waves of her hair. His other hand, the one that stopped her from turning the doorknob, snakes around her lower back in a way that makes her moan against him. He was already hard when she came in, but now he’s positively _ stiff _, the precum welling in his underwear as she slips her tongue between his lips. Her tiny hands search his back, unable to gather it all as she so greedily wants to, and she presses her form into his. 

_ Fuck. _

He guides her away from the door until she bumps his desk and then lifts her onto it with ease. She yelps when he does so, a sound that electrifies the blood racing through him, and he begs himself not to cum already. His lips leave hers and travel down her jaw and neck, allowing him to deeply breathe in her addictive scent while her hands comb through his hair. He can tell her heart is racing too, how the hot blood pumps through the veins under his lips, but as his mouth reaches her dress’ fabric, he slows down. 

She already knows what he’s asking. “Yes,” she breathes, as her hands awkwardly fumble to her chest and start unweaving her dress wraps. He continues with added voracity, fueled by both her enthusiasm and demanding tone. Maybe she’s as addicted to him as he is to her. Her fingers return to his hair and Ben takes the initiative to peel away inches of her dress fabric, revealing the thin lace of a lavender bra. He immediately mouths it, sucking her skin through the fabric until he reaches a hardened nipple. He tongues it, which makes Rey whimper above him and press her fingers into his back. She lifts her legs to get him closer, the fabric of her dress sliding up her tanned thighs. He already knows what he wants, and now with her enthusiastic consent, he won’t let anything get in his way. With his mouth teasing one breast, he palms the other and snakes his hand along her inner thigh, his robust fingers grazing her shivering skin with utmost caution. He’s just about to reach her apex when-

A sharp knocking at Ben’s door freezes them both. 

“Dr. Solo!” a nasally voice raps from behind the door. Ben immediately recognizes it as Dr. Hux.

_ Motherfu- _

“Ben!?” Rey whispers. The panic in her voice is valid, because not only does the Academy have a strict “No Closed Door” policy, but she’s also half-naked in her professor’s office. 

Almost automatically, Ben lifts her again, carrying her around the corner and stuffing her underneath his desk.

“Seriously?” Rey hisses as she crouches underneath. 

“What else?” Ben counters as he sits in his office chair and scoots closer to his desk, cramming Rey between his large legs.

“Ouch!” Rey yips.

“Shh!” Ben warns but his threat is met with narrowed hazel eyes, a look that says _ I’ll get you for this. _

“Dr. Solo?” The voice nags again, and just as Ben fixes his shirt and hair, his office door swings open.

“Are you deft at _ all _ means of communication?! I mean really, how difficult is it to reply to an email? I’m not trying to take over the world here, Solo, I just-” Hux’s sputtering speech suddenly halts and he deeply inhales. “Did…you light a candle or something?”

Ben swallows. “No, why?”

“It smells..._ nice _…in here. For once...” Hux seems confused, yet impressed. “Like apricots.” 

“I don’t smell anything.”

Hux doesn’t seem convinced but returns to the previous conversation. “Okay… So?”

“So what?”

Hux’s eyes roll so far back into his head Ben ponders if they might ever come back. “So did you get Dean Snoke’s memo this morning or not?”

As Hux stares at him with equal amounts of apathy and annoyance, Ben feels a slender hand snake up his right leg. 

_ Oh no. _

“Uh…” Ben mutters.

“The one detailing the Academy’s concern about favoritism among colleagues and students?”

She’s gripping his thigh now. “I don’t-”

Hux cuts him off. “Because the Board was _ recently _ informed of rumors regarding professors participating in favoritism among their students. And before you say anything, I agree, _ why _ waste time on rumors spread by meaningless people with too much time on their hands when we could be focusing on oh, I don’t know, actually pertinent problems, but the Board is worried that the parents will find out, especially those who annually donate to our research…”

Ben watches Hux’s infuriating mouth moves, but all he can think of is how Rey’s hand has slithered up his thigh and is dangerously close to reaching his-

Rey gives Ben’s cock a tight squeeze through his pants. He jolts and leans forward, a sorry attempt to stifle the pleasure that rocks through him.

Thankfully, Hux doesn’t notice.“So, basically the Dean wants us to all sign a decree that we are not and will not show any forms of favoritism to our students. But you would know that, of course, if you had read the memo.” 

Rey’s other hand has found his zipper, and Ben wants to scream. “It s-seems as though I don’t,” he clears his throat as Rey continues underneath, “have to anymore. Thank you... Dr. Hux,” Ben finally spits out. 

Hux nods curtly, clearly uncomfortable with the praise. He turns as if he’s about to leave, but to Ben’s chagrin, halts in the doorway. “You’re not involved in this, right Dr. Solo?”

Rey has worked Ben’s cock out of his pants now, and she’s milking him in a way that makes it hard to keep his eyes open. “I’m sorry?”

“You’re not favoring any students?” Hux clarifies.

Ben’s fists tighten so much that he’s sure his fingernails will be covered in blood when he uncurls them. “No, of course not,” he lies.

He can feel his cock straining underneath the table, desperate for release. He hasn’t been this hard in a long time, so when Rey brings the head to graze against her pillowy lips, he has to mold his fingers into the wood desk to keep himself from unraveling. 

“Very well, Solo. Remember, six o’clock meeting tomorrow.” Hux says as he leaves the office.

“Great!” Ben calls after him. “Shut the door on your way out.” 

Once the coast is clear, Ben scoots back from his desk and Rey pops out from underneath, his achingly hard cock in her hands. She bursts out in laughter, the kind that has her wheezing and the kind that is too contagious to avoid. Ben can’t help but laugh too, even if he’s far better at stifling his laughter than his pleasure.

Once her giggles simmer down, she looks up at him. “Was I distracting?” she says with a crumbling attempt of a straight face. To articulate her point, her hand begins pumping him again.

“You think you’re so slick, huh?” Ben grumbles.

“What, do you want me to stop?” she warns, as her hands completely cease their movement. 

“No, no, that’s...” He panics. “No please, don’t stop.”

“Okay,” Rey grins as she readjusts herself in front of him, and gently places his cock in her mouth. 

_ Fuck. _

It’s warm, soft, and unimaginably wet, and something dark rumbles out of Ben as Rey sinks further along his shaft. Her soft lips slide down him smoothly, and when she pulls back, she sucks gently, as if just to tease him more. 

If Dr. Hux, or anyone for that matter, decided to drop back in, he’d be fucked. But he couldn’t care less, not when she was doing _ that. _

Rey speeds up her bobbing, matching her moving hand in tandem, as the other gently cups his balls. His eyes shut tightly as another groan escapes him with no hopes of being controlled. Rey moans as well, a reverberation which feels incredible against her mouth, and Ben can feel himself lose grip on his control.

He’s greedy, and selfish, and wants more of her. He wants to rip off her dress, fill her up with his throbbing cock and fuck her senselessly until she comes so loudly that the entire department will hear. He wants to devour her pussy on top of a pile of those favoritism memos on Hux’s desk, or _ fuck it _, even Dean Snoke’s desk until she’s come a thousand times, that’s how much he needs her right now.

Ben’s hand reaches downward, trying to fondle Rey and perhaps entice her in the aforementioned activities, but she swats his hand away and starts working even harder. Her head bobs furiously as her hands move in a twisting sort of motion, and Ben can’t even try to help it, or give any slight warning, as he comes harder than he has in years.

He hisses curses as he comes, his toes curling inside of his dress shoes and his grip bending the plastic of his armchair. Rey’s a little startled by the aggressive ropes that hit the back of her throat, and a bit of his cum slips from her mouth as she slows her rhythm. But when she lifts herself off of him, she swallows proudly and beams up at him. 

“You are gonna get me in so much trouble,” Ben heaves as he comes down, his thumb gently wiping Rey’s mouth and tucking her hair behind her ear.

Rey grins and rests her head on his lap, the natural bliss on her face something that Ben never wants to forget. It’s like she knows, too, the danger of the predicament that they now find themselves in, but just like him, she couldn’t care less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved hearing about your Moonbucks orders last time ;) but this time I wanna know what your favorite Reylo trope is? Apparently, mine is Jealous Ben™️ haha!
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter! I'm on Twitter (sometimes) as @eveningeyess if you want to talk there too! Much love!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life with Rey makes the weeks move faster than Ben can catch them. Unfortunately though, (as it always does) life gets in the way.
> 
> aka smut and a lil drama ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> Sorry for the long wait, I've been really busy with real-life stuff but I'm glad to get this chapter ready for you! I think it's pretty spicy in more ways than one ;) ;) ;) 
> 
> Thank you to my AMAZING beta and low key loml LoveofEscapism <3 You the best bb <3 
> 
> Enjoy the update!

The next several weeks whirl around faster than Ben can catch them. And though the sweltering heat has subsided slightly, monsoon storms have taken advantage of the dip in heat and Tattoine’s Fall has officially begun.

And now that all boundaries have been broken, Rey takes no shame in distracting him. Her skirts have hiked even higher up her hips than at the beginning of the semester, and she takes special attention in reminding him of her lips, whether it be applying a gloss or the occasional running them through her teeth. 

And Force-willing, on Wednesdays, she  _ forgets _ to wear underwear. 

At home, she’s even more daring. Sleeping at Ben’s apartment more than her own, Rey wears him out in more ways than one. He’s had sex before  _ if you could call it that _ , but with Rey, it’s not a chore, it’s an addiction, and she’s as hungry for it as he is. Sometimes, Ben can’t help but ponder the stereotypes that surround men, women, and sex, when Rey asks him if he’s ready for round three. 

But it’s not just the sex that Ben’s addicted to. He’s also addicted to the way she warms his life. Every time she comes over, she leaves a little something behind. Hair ties, candy bars, hoop earrings that she’d forgotten the morning after. He likes to think that she does it on purpose. Another reason to come back.

They even went on a double date with Poe and his new boyfriend Finn, who (because the Force hates Ben and wants to see him suffer) happened to be the guy Rey was texting in class what seemed so long ago. After much needed catching up, the four drank tequila and sang terrible renditions of eighties’ pop songs until their voices grew weak and their heads grew heavier. But drunk or not, he still thinks that Rey’s the most beautiful when bathed in colored disco lights and singing to her heart’s content.

At the end of each weekend, Ben drops Rey off at her apartment so she can catch up on assignments. He offers to take her back earlier, as to not interfere with her work, but she always persuades him otherwise. He also offers to walk her up to her door, but each time she just kisses him, says she’ll see him tomorrow, and gets out of the car. And each time, he wonders what she’s holding back. 

* * *

This Sunday, he wakes up with Rey still sound asleep in his bed. Her short brown curls are erratic and frizzy, likely from her constant twisting and twirling that somehow always wins her the majority of the bed, but he doesn’t mind.

Even deep in sleep, her stomach growls, so he decides to head out to grab breakfast. A small deli a few blocks from his apartment is the go-to, and to the older woman’s confusion, he orders the usual; one plain bagel for himself and one horrendous beans-on-toast option for his snoring beauty. 

When he arrives home he can hear that Rey’s in the shower, based on the echoes of racing water and struggling pipes. Ben gently sets the groceries and his keys on the kitchen counter and follows the sound to the bathroom door. As he leans on the frame, he listens. 

Rey’s singing a love song that she’s played in the car before. It’s the one about leaving Christmas lights up longer than usual and staying together forever, and she seems to really like it. Maybe she’s a little off-key and maybe she’d kill him for eavesdropping, but Ben smiles and listens selfishly anyway. He can’t help it, not when it sounds like she believes in what she’s singing.

After a few verses, he knocks on the door. “Rey?”

The singing immediately stops as Ben pushes the door open, a wave of hot steam kissing his skin when he enters the bathroom.

“Close the door would you? It’s gonna get so cold!” Rey protests from the shower.

Ben closes it obediently. The shower curtain bends, and Rey’s soapy head pops out from the source of thick steam. “Hi,” she says.

“Hi,” he replies. Then after a moment, “I brought breakfast.”

“Ooh!”

“Beans on toast for you, though the deli didn’t have baked beans ready so I had to buy some from the store.”

“You’re too good to me,” Rey says with a devilish smile, and Ben’s heart flutters.

“Come here,” she says, and Ben obliges, leaning down so that he can kiss her soapy lips. She’s warm and wet, and her hair smells of aged mahogany and eucalyptus stems. As he kisses her back, it dawns on him that she must have used his body wash in place of her own. Something about that detail roars to life a possessive and primal need for her, and he can feel his cock start to swell in his jeans. She must know it too because she moans and deepens the kiss, pulling him closer with a wet hand. Ben leans in more, ready to snatch small frame her in his arms and whisk her away to his bed. But to his surprise, she instead grabs his shirt and pulls  _ hard _ , so much so that she drags him into the shower. 

“Shit!” Ben mumbles against her mouth as he stumbles over the tub, the hot water unforgiving as it seeps into his T-shirt and jeans. Rey giggles and latches onto him, getting him even wetter than before and starts pulling on his now-soaked tee. 

Within moments, they’ve peeled off his waterlogged clothes and thrown them out on the bathroom floor, and Ben’s mouth has refocused on Rey’s slick skin. Kissing her clean neck and collarbone, running his tongue over the slight swell of her breasts and the valleys of her abdomen, her gentle breath makes him shake. He kneels in the tub as his mouth continues downward, lifting her hips up with his strong arms so that she leans back on the shower tiles. As Ben begins to kiss her soft thighs, her slender fingers part his hair.

Rey moans a soft sound that makes Ben even harder and even more determined to give her pleasure. The hot water runs over his eyes so he closes them and lets his mouth wander. First, he kisses her gently, and Rey trembles in his arms with anticipation. Then he uses his tongue to part her, tasting her slowly as she gasps above him. He teases her, gently sucking and kissing her cunt as her breathy voice begs him  _ please, Ben,  _ over and over. But as soon as her moans start to sound pleading, he gives in and licks her powerfully.

Rey squirms and gasps as he plows into her and sucks on her folds, eating her like the summer fruit she’s always reminded him of. The hot steam soothes his lungs, and her grip on his hair gets tighter as she begins to thrust herself into his mouth.

Ben makes sure to listen to her  _ audible _ feedback as well as the gentle forward of her hips whenever he does something she likes. When he sucks at the top of her cunt, she cries out something so perfect and sweet he wants nothing else but to  _ keep _ hearing it, so he focuses all of his attention to it, sucking slowly at first but gaining momentum as her soft pitch rises.

Soon they’re both struggling to keep Rey up against the shower wall because she’s moving so much. But Ben keeps his stance, acting as both something to keep her stable and the thing that’s going to make her crumble. He presses her legs to open wide for him, even though her strong thighs prove even stronger as she twists in pleasure and her grip on his hair is so tight that he’s afraid he won’t have much left after this, but it’s worth it, to hear her screaming his name this way. And finally, when she comes, the echoing acoustics of the shower carries the sound in the most heavenly way.

After, as Rey cools down, Ben washes her hair, watching greedily as the suds travel over her curves. Then he wraps her in a towel and carries her to his bed, where they stay for a little  _ too  _ long. 

Ben plays with her hair, twisting the short, wet curls between his fingers while he gazes at the details of her face. She has a slight scar on her cheek, an otherwise unnoticed indentation and he instantly decides that he loves it. She strokes his arms and shoulders, grazing her fingertips over them like dancers in a ballet. She studies him as he studies her, and when she finally looks up to him, her eyes are greener than ever. 

“Our breakfast is probably cold,” he murmurs. 

Rey bursts out laughing, “Well, mine’s in a can, remember?”

Ben chuckles and shakes his head. “Right, right…”

They stay together for a while, enjoying the morning as the hot water evaporates from their skin. He thinks about how  _ lucky _ he is to have this moment and the promise of many more moments just like this. It was only a few months ago where this would have only existed in his dreams because that’s exactly what she was for so  _ long _ , just a dream.

A dangerous thought rises to the surface of his mind, and before he can wonder if it will ruin the nice moment they’re sharing, he whispers, “Why did you leave?”

Rey’s brows furrow. “What?”

He regrets asking it immediately.  _ But why not ask, when it’s been plaguing his mind since that very night? _ “That night, on New Years. Why did you leave?”

Rey stills, the previous warmth of her presence suddenly gone. 

“My grandfather died. He…” she stops, as her voice catches. 

“We don’t have to-”

“No,” she says, “You should know.” Rey takes a deep, shuddery breath. “He was...my only family.” She turns so that she faces the ceiling so that she doesn’t have to look at him. “We got in a fight that day, over something I can’t even remember, and I went to Poe’s to get my mind off of it. But then he was gone, and I didn’t get to say goodbye.” Tears well up in her eyes and Ben’s heart lurches with guilt. 

“I was so selfish, I wasn’t there when he needed me. And when I saw you in class, I couldn’t help but feel that selfishness again. It reminded me of how terrible I am.” Water slips out of the side of her eye, across her cheekbone and down to her ear. 

Ben reaches to wipe the hot water from Rey’s cheek, and she leans into his large hand. “You’re not terrible, not in the slightest,” he tells her. 

He wants to tell her he loves her, and that he could be her family if she wanted. But it doesn’t feel right, and the words don’t come. Instead, Rey wipes her face and rises from their nest of damp towels. He hates that she’s distancing herself, and even though she’s told him what happened, he still feels like something is missing.

_ Why are you hiding from me? _

She walks up to Ben’s bookcase, peering at the books with curious intent. When she finds the Skywalker name sitting there, she whips around excitedly, as if all mentions of the previous conversation have been wiped out. “You have a Skywalker book? And it’s  _ signed _ ?” 

Ben nods, explaining that the philosophy text is his uncle’s and that it’s one of many,  _ many _ , signed Skywalker relics. 

Rey’s face is a mix of emotions, but he thinks the most prominent one is excitement. “ _ Your _ uncle is Luke Skywalker?” She looks at the book in her hands in awe. “I’ve read all of his books on fate and the Living Force! He’s a legend!”

Ben thinks of his uncle, and the footsteps he was supposed to follow. A  _ legend. _ He remembers the faces of those he had disappointed, the whispers of those who doubted him, and the expectations he will never keep. “He’s a hermit.” 

Rey’s features scrunch in disbelief. “He’s developed the most accepted theories about the ways of the Force, Ben.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Ben snaps with acidity in his voice he didn’t mean to add. Suddenly, he’s very eager to leave the conversation, so he gets up and heads towards the kitchen. As he leaves, he can hear Rey sigh. 

He stalks into the kitchen, leaning on the island counter for support as he shakes away haunting memories.

_ Reach out, Ben, the Force will guide you! _

_ The Force doesn’t exist! _

“Ugh!” Ben growls, as hot spines of pinched nerves cascade over his back in a wave. He releases the counter, bringing back pale knuckles and shaking hands, before he picks up his phone from the kitchen table and scrolls through the dozens of missed notifications. Three of them are from Hux, of course, but that’s not the one which makes him groan. 

“What’s wrong?” Rey asks quietly as she slides her small hands around his waist from behind. 

Ben skims the email. “One of my students...”

“Oh? Another upset parent?”

Ben scoffs, “Yeah, you could say that.”

The truth was, Orson Krennic was more than just upset. He was  _ livid _ that Ben wouldn’t give his son, James, extra credit. Krennic had one of the highest scores in the class, but one missed assignment kept him from a perfect “A”. When he first complained, Ben simply explained that his policy was stated in the syllabus. But that wasn’t the answer the Krennics wanted, and now Ben was receiving at least one furious email per day. 

Ben sighs and turns the phone off, tossing it on the counter carelessly. 

Rey squeezes him tightly and kisses his spine. A small gesture, but it soothes him nonetheless.

He rubs her arms and turns around to hug her properly. “Come on, let’s eat,” he offers, and Rey beams, instantly making him feel better. 

* * *

Though it’s still blisteringly hot outside, the essence of Fall fills the Kaan library, even if it’s just due to the countless Pumpkin Spice drinks being brewed in the Moonbucks below.

Rey and Ben are fools today and fool around carelessly between the bookshelves of the Philosophy section, partly because no one ever comes up there and partly because their cautiousness has withered away to almost nothing in the last few weeks. 

Ben’s playing with Rey’s thong underneath her skirt, rubbing his thick fingers along her slit and licking her ear. She moans and grabs his cock through his dress pants, milking him fiercely and reminding him how she wants him.

“I know, I can feel how wet you are,” he growls. 

She giggles and Ben’s mouth moves from her earlobe to her neck. “My naughty girl, showing yourself to me in class like that? And you thought you wouldn’t get punished for it?”

She moans again until suddenly her voice turns cold and frantic. “Ben, Ben,” she breathes, hitting his back rapidly with her hand.

“What?” Ben purrs but as he looks up from her neck, he sees that her face is white with panic. Puzzled, he turns to see what she’s looking at and sees James Krennic with his phone in front of his face. 

A flash goes off.

And then Krennic runs. 

Ben rips himself from Rey and begins running after Krennic. 

“Hey!” he tries to say calmly, but Krennic keeps running, and anger boils in Ben’s blood. His run turns into a full-on sprint, charging after the student through the library halls. “Hey!”

But it’s no use. 

_ What is he really gonna do? Beat up his student?  _

Ben sighs and falls back, watching as Krennic’s golden-colored head disappears down the stairs. 

“Mother...fuck!” Ben curses loudly, which earns an “Shh!” from a librarian nearby. 

He walks back to Rey, who’s clutching herself against the bookshelf. She looks sick. 

“What’s gonna happen?” she stutters.

“Nothing, sweetheart, I promise,” Ben lies. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

But she doesn’t look convinced, she looks even more scared. It takes all that’s left in him to lie to her again.

“It’s going to be okay, Rey. I’m going to go, but wait ten minutes before you leave, alright?”

Rey nods her head, but her eyes are still full of worry.

Ben kisses her forehead. “I’ll fix this. Remember, ten minutes.”

“Okay,” she finally says. 

* * *

Ben rushes to his office, feeling like his heart is about to explode during the entire walk across campus. He can see that pesky Krennic already, going to Hux no doubt and showing him that picture. Or worse, Snoke himself. 

_ Fuck! _

When he gets to his desk, he logs in (misspelling his password three times) and checks his email. At the top sits a new notification from Dean Snoke. Ben’s hand shakes over the mouse as he scrolls down the email. 

It’s not long, but it says enough. Snoke wants to see him in his office tomorrow morning. 

Ben’s heart plummets into his stomach with such force that his other hand has to grip his abdomen to keep him from throwing up. He backs away from the computer, and suddenly there’s no more air in his office. 

He runs up the stairs, up and up the flights until he’s reached the rooftop of what happens to be Mos Eisely’s highest academic building. He swings the door open and is greeted by daylight. The suns are about to set, their scarlet marks across the horizon signifying the day’s death.

Ben walks against pounding desert air and releases everything that’s built up in him since seeing that flash go off in Krennic’s hands. He screams and cries and roars into the sunlight until his lungs are weak and his voice is no longer.

And as the suns dip underneath the horizon, he falls to his knees and weeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought of this update in the comments below or feel free to reach out on Twitter or Discord! Handles are the same (eveningeyes) I'm pretty sure <3 
> 
> Much love! <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben deals with the consequences of his actions. 
> 
> or
> 
> *pain train has entered the chat*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I cannot express how much it means to me to get to read your comments/see your kudos/know that someone out there is enjoying reading something that I made. It really warms my heart, so thank you to everyone who has read so far <3 
> 
> Thank you as always to my amazing beta LoveforEscapism, I say it with every update but you really are the sweetest, kindest soul and I can't thank you enough for helping me with this fic. ily bb <3

Ben sits at his desk. A quarter to ten, and he can’t move. 

Rey’s name flashes on his phone once, twice. The moving light catches his eye and he turns his head. There are little swirling hearts next to her name, the only time his phone has made use of emoticons, and most likely put in place by Rey herself. Which of course, only made him like her more.

She’s probably wondering where he is.

The meeting with Snoke was concise, but it didn’t have to last long. Snoke’s meetings never stretched more than fifteen minutes and felt more like a shot of poisonous, insecurity-inducing adrenaline than engaging in words of encouragement. This one was no different. Snoke showed him proof of his sin and gave him a choice. His long, wrinkled hands stretched out as they weighed Ben’s options.  _ Continue his affair _ , raised one hand, and face the consequences.  _ Cut all attachment with this student _ raised the other, and keep his job. Ben laughed at that. 

_ Fuck you _ , he thought.  _ Do whatever you want with my future. I couldn’t care less. _

Snoke sensed it, displeased. Then, his hands came together and with feigned concern, he threatened Rey’s expulsion.

Which changed  _ everything _ .

So now, ten till ten, Ben sits at his desk, mediating over Snoke’s succinct words while his phone keeps buzzing next to him.

Five minutes before class starts, he realizes he can’t get out of his seat, so he writes an email to his students claiming he’s caught a stomach bug, followed by another that says  _ yes, the homework is still due tonight. _

He hits send and exhales.

Rey’s contact pops up on his screen three more times.

_ What’s going on? What happened?  _ Says her text.

Something much stronger than a stomach bug swirls in Ben’s abdomen. He types out his reply with frustrated, self-depricating anguish. 

_ We should meet. _

* * *

  
  


A dust storm is brewing outside. Trees foreign to Tatooine rustle as dirty winds run through them, powdering them with beige sand and whipping leaves from their stems. Ben reaches their secret spot outside the library and Rey’s already there, absently biting her nails while she paces back and forth. The moment he sees her, his stomach plummets.

He steps closer to her, and for a moment he wants to reach out for her but decides against it. “Rey,” he says cautiously.

She whips around, her eyes bloodshot and hazy. “Ben, what’s going on? I’ve been so worried, and you haven’t answered, I-”

“I’m dropping you from my class.”

She’s stunned. She steps back and shakes her head. “What?”

“You will no-”

“You’re dropping me?”

He nods.

She shakes her head again, her eyes barely able to meet his. “I don’t understand.”

“Because,” he leans forward, though the powerful wind wouldn’t let a soul hear him, and moves his hand over the space between them. “ _ This _ is dangerous.”

But it’s only a catalyst for her anger, yelling loudly as if just to defy him. “ _ What’s _ dangerous? That we  _ fuck _ on the regular?”

Ben’s composure falls as he looks around to see if anyone’s heard. “Keep your voice down!”

Rey laughs an eerie, dry chuckle that makes Ben’s stomach churn and stares at him with unabashed anger. “Don’t you dare tell me what to do. What, are you so worried that you’re gonna lose your job, Dr. Solo? Are you so ashamed of me?”

His mouth opens and closes, dirt souring his tongue as words full of reaction and guilt threaten to spill out of him at frightening speeds. It’s a miracle that he can restrain himself to only say “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sure you are, God, you arse!” Rey screams at him, though the power of her voice is lost in the dusty wind. Ben’s heart lurches.

_ Good _ , he thinks,  _ stay mad at me. Stay away from me. _

“I’m sorry,” he says again, quietly this time as if only to himself. Rey doesn’t look at him anymore, her fists clenched around tightly wrapped arms that guard herself against his advances. She exhales, and it’s shaky and wet. 

He can’t look at her either, it hurts too much to focus on anything but her boots. “I’m transferring you to Dr. Holdo’s class,” he says in a voice that, despite the cesspool of emotions tormenting his insides, is miraculously clear and strong. “If you show up to my lectures again I will have you removed. That’s final.” Then he turns and starts to walk away.

Her small voice calls him from behind. “Wait, Ben?”

His body betrays him, instantly stopping. 

“You told me I wasn’t alone. That,” she sniffs groggily, “that what we had was  _ real _ . Did you mean it?”

A pressure harder than anything he’s ever felt before crushes Ben’s chest. He shrinks away from her because he knows he can't give her the answer she wants. So instead, he stays silent.

“Please don’t do this,” she whispers.

It kills him to leave, but he can’t hurt her anymore.

“It’s already done. Goodbye, Rey.”

He walks away, his eyes stinging something fierce and if it’s from the wind or something else he doesn’t know, but the tears spill down his cheeks in hot streams. The dusty wind blows against his clothes so much that he has to fight against it as Rey’s cries drown in the wind.

_ Ben, please! Ben! _

* * *

In class the next day, her desk is empty. After that, empty still, but eventually another student takes her spot and it’s like she never existed. Or at least, to no one but him. Poe calls every once in a while, but he can’t bring himself to answer. He doesn’t want to explain how he had her, loved her, and lost her, all because of his own selfish need. He’d rather just pretend to be absorbed in work. Daybreak meetings, exam reviews, and reminder emails about final grade calculations all blur together, with Ben just casually riding along. 

One day, he realizes that he hasn’t spoken once outside of lecture, and isn’t bothered by it in the slightest. It’s only when he’s driving home, stuck in sludge-like traffic, that he’s brought out of his stupor. Because a song comes on the radio, one that describes leaving Christmas lights on until January, and it’s the same one that Rey used to play in the car and sing in the shower.

Warm, sticky memories surge into his mind like a wave, carrying with it the taste of apricot and the feeling of vintage jeans under his palms. He remembers tucking a wet strand of curly hair behind a blushing ear and watching her slight fingers wipe away an unsuspecting tear. 

Suddenly, Ben screams and bangs on the steering wheel with all of his might. His car wobbles as he violently slams his fists against the stretched leather, and sobs harder than his lungs can handle. Somewhere in the blitz, the radio turns off, but it doesn’t end his suffering. He sucks in air as rapidly as he expels it, causing his lungs to scorch in his chest, but he can’t stop. Because nothing hurts as much as remembering how much he’s lost.

An impatient driver behind him notices that he’s yet to move an inch forward, and honks his horn. 

"Fuck!" he roared.

Ben’s bloodshot eyes shoot to the rearview mirror, sending the most gruesome death wish to the driver behind him as he briefly lifts his foot from the brake and moves forward.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This pain won't last for long! Smut will come to the rescue, I promise!! 
> 
> What's a song that instantly reminds you of Reylo? For me, it's Lover by Tswift, and like a bunch of other ones I have in a playlist lol but I love hearing other's Reylo Songs™ so definitely give me your recommendations! 
> 
> I'm not really on twitter right now because I want to avoid leaks and spoilers but I'm kinda on tumblr again (eveningeyes) and discord if any of you want to chat! <3 Much love!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finals season hits Mos Eisley Academy and Ben comes to a realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!
> 
> Sorry this took so long. :( TROS really took it out of me but I'm very happy to have this update for you. This one plays with multiple POV's, but don't fret, we still end up with Ben. Also, remember way back when I said this was a soulmate AU? This chapter sheds light on that too! <3
> 
> Thank you to my lovely beta LoveofEscapism, and all of you lovelies for reminding me how supportive and awesome the Reylo fandom is! <3 <3 <3

Dr. Amilyn Holdo keeps a busy schedule. Whenever a work opportunity presents itself, she takes it, because that’s _exactly_ how she likes it. And though her erratic days keep her mind busy, she still can’t help from being observant. _T__oo_ observant, she often thinks, because once a detail enters her world, she can't let it go until she figures it out. Like now, when a stellar student  suddenly  drops the infamous Dr. Solo’s Physics course at the end of the semester. Amilyn couldn’t figure it out. The girl had gifts, that she knew. Even Dr. Solo’s email about her course switch _complimented_ her strengths. So _why_ did she drop? 

Well, one thing Amilyn notices is that Ms. Kenobi is quiet in person. Often looking bored or distracted in class, it seems that she either wasn't interested or didn’t have what it took. Her assignment entries,  however, were poignant and often thought-provoking. Her commentary, something that would usually irritate Amilyn, always proved an interesting read.

One day, after a final review in lecture, Amilyn decided to email Rey, asking her to visit during office hours. When the girl shows, she hands her a pamphlet. 

Rey turns it over and strokes the glossy pages. “Corellian Engineering Corporation? What is this?” she asks

“I know you still have some time before you graduate, but you should consider this. I would be more than happy to write you a reference letter, if you’re interested. At the very least, we can set up an interview.” 

Rey’s complexion lights up in a way that surprises Amilyn. She’d never seen the girl look so happy. 

“That would be...amazing! Thank you, Dr. Holdo.”

“Of course. Now I hate to cut things short but I have ten minutes to eat this sandwich before I meet with my Capstone kids,” she laughs.

“Yes, right, of course, um...thank you again!” Rey says as she hugs the pamphlet to her chest. She all but skips out of the office, her short brown hair bouncing around her neckline as she goes.

A smile blooms on Amilyn’s face as she sits back in her chair. She takes a moment, something very rare for her these days, before taking a gigantic bite out of her lunch.

* * *

Though Moonbucks is never _slow_, finals season tests every barista’s patience. Kaydel prefers to make the drinks because not only is she _great_ at making foam, but she can avoid the line. Snide comments from stressed-out students and impatient faculty would pick at anyone. And after weeks of torment, the baristas are beginning to unravel.

Mid-morning on Thursday, Kaydel hears the familiar voice of a regular. 

“Green tea with honey please, hot, and grande size. Thank you,” orders one of the very few British students on campus. 

Amber, the barista at her end, sighs as she punches in the order. The customer hands over her credit card, and Amber scoffs.

“Finally paying for your drinks?” she snickers.

Kay’s gaze tears from her flowing espresso to the scene at the register. Her heart begins to pound as she watches the offended customer, her features forming a deep scowl. “Excuse me?”

“Did your sugar daddy find someone younger already?” 

“I’ll beg your fucking pardon, _cunt_,” the girl leans over the counter, her pointer finger hovering over Amber’s face. 

“Whoa!” Kaydel swings in, leaving her espresso to burn in the machine. “Amber, why don’t you go in the back? I’ll take over things here.” 

Amber scoffs again, “I’m  perfectly  fi-”

“Get in the fucking back!” Kaydel commands through a customer service smile. Amber disappears from the front, but not before rolling her eyes into her skull. The offended customer’s hateful glare follows her until she’s out of view. Then looks at Kaydel before handing over her card again.

“Sorry. I lost my temper,” she sighs.

“No, I’m sorry. You know what, this one is on the house.” She turns to make the drink, adding an extra drip of honey for good measure. As she places it on the counter, she makes another quick decision. “And a cookie pop!” 

The customer smiles before taking the tea and the pastry and walking out of the shop. Kaydel sighs, realizing her time hiding behind the espresso machine is over. With the smell of burnt espresso souring the air, she asks for the next customer. 

“Can I get a cookie pop too?”

“Jesus, no.” 

* * *

Alex, a graduate student, peers over her textbook. “Chels, the final is tomorrow, I  really  need you to help me here."

Chelsea, her classmate and study-buddy, has neglected flashcards in favor of scrolling through social media.

“I’m helping, I’m  just  taking a break,” Chelsea replies, laying down in the booth while adjusting her purse to act as a pillow.

“Okay,” Alex says in a teasing manner, “But I’m saying the Philosophy final is tomorrow and you still don’t know what a dyad is.”

“A what?”

“My point exactly.”

“Relax, we have plenty of time. Hey, is the Moonbucks line still long?”

Alex tears her gaze from her book and squints at the Moonbucks from across the Kaan library. It takes a moment for her eyes to adjust to the far-off coffee shop, but she can make out blobs in the distance. Those must be the forms of students. “I can still see the line from here so...  probably .”

“Damn.”

An hour passes, and a migraine is beginning to brew right behind Alex’s forehead. She wants to give up and join Chelsea in her definitely-longer-than-a-few-minutes break. But as soon as her eyes reach the end of the page, the ancient text reveals what she’s looking for.

“Ah-ha! Gotcha bitch!” she exclaims. A tall, brooding man walks by, frowning in response to her profanity before proceeding. Alex thinks she’s seen him in the Physics department before, when meeting a friend for lunch, but shrugs it off. She never bothered with the opinions of men anyway.

Chelsea giggles from the other side of the booth brings her back to the moment. “What did you find?”

“I’ve been looking for this passage on the Red String of Fate and I finally got it!”

“The who what of where?”

“The Red String of Fate. Remember, Dr. Kanata mentioned it when talking about the Soulmate Bond? It  is believed  to be sometimes tangible, intangible, or only visible to those who are part of the bond itself. Here, listen.”

Alex then recites from the textbook: “Though fabled throughout history, the Red String of Fate is  unanimously  defined as the indicator of a bond defying time and space.  Though the appearance of the String is a continuous topic of discussion, most tales describe it as a physical fabric that wraps around the individuals it chooses,  mythically  and  tangibly  locking them in a spiritual bond.

Most ancient philosophers believed that the Red String is only viewed in person, but in the last century, reports have  been made  of strange occurrences where the String appears in specific types of photography, though the credibility of these reports is still under review .”

“So, what does it mean?” Chelsea’s head has now popped up from her side of the booth.

“It means that the Living Force chooses two souls to  be destined  together forever.” Alex leans back against the stiff, faux-leather seat and lifts her water bottle to her mouth. “  Basically , they’re soulmates,” she finishes and takes a sip.

“Wow, how romantic!” Chelsea sighs, before plopping back down and continuing to scroll. She swoons, “What do you think are the chances that Chris Sevans could be _my_ soulmate?”

That rouses a chuckle from Alex. “I don’t know, babe,  maybe ? But I wouldn’t count on it.”

“Excuse me,” says a profound, dark voice. When Alex looks to see where it came from, she finds that it’s the sour-looking man who scowled at her before. 

Chelsea perks up in response to the baritone, but as soon as she sees who’s at their table, she hesitates. “Hey...Doctor Solo. What’s...up?”

So that’s where Alex has seen him before. He’s the Physics professor that every STEM major tries to avoid.  And yet, the man with a reputation for harshness seems  strangely  _ timid_ as he towers above their small study area  .  He looks tired, which isn’t fair because it’s finals season and everyone looks tired, but this guy looks like he hasn’t gotten any sleep in _months_ .

He’s trying to ask them something, Alex thinks, and wonders if the lack of sleep has affected his speech as well.  The beginning of his request starts and stops many times, his hands fumbling around his mouth and neck before evident impatience overtakes him and he spits out what must be torturous to ask . 

“What...what is that? What was that, that you were reading?” He sounds exhausted like the words clawed at his throat as he spoke them.

“Uh...what?”

“The thing you  just  read, what was that?”

Alex blinks at him, before realizing she has a book in her hands. “This? It’s the Living Force.”

“Can I…?” he asks before reaching over and taking the textbook.  Oddly  , she allows him to take it, she even _hands it over_. When it’s in his hands, his face sharpens as his gaze begins to trace the text. Then, in an act as erratic as everything he’s done so far, he exhales in a short, determined manner and storms away.

Alex and Chelsea give each other a look that seemed to say _what the fuck?_ But before they can say anything, Dr. Solo is back at their table. His mouth is open, and Alex cringes  inwardly , waiting for what could come from it.

“Um, thanks,” he murmurs. And then he’s gone again. 

The two girls blink at each other before Chelsea finally asks, “Did Professor Solo  just  steal your book ?”

“ I think  I  just  _ gave_ it to him,” Alex replies.

They keep staring until one of them finally breaks. Then they laugh until their faces turn bright red and the muscles in their abdomens strain. And even when the giggles begin to subside, it only takes one look to catalyze the next wave of silent wheezing. The waves continue until a realization dawns on Alex.

“Wait, how the fuck are we going to study now?”

* * *

Ben rushes through the Kaan library, _The Living Force_ in hand.  His mind's a twisting storm of thoughts and memories, all crowding in and fighting for dominance in the world between his ears  . He races to the Philosophy section, as flashes of Rey flood his senses.  He rips books from the shelf, even half-glancing at a Sidious text before shaking his head and gathering a tower of books in his long arms  . They’re heavy and the old bindings stab the soft flesh of his biceps, but he carries on with purpose.  As he leaves, he gives a succinct head nod to the proud lead coordinator of the Kaan library, Ms. D'Acy, who narrows her gaze at him .

Night creeps over Mos Eisley campus, arousing a chill that doesn’t seem possible for a desert landscape.  Ben struggles with his payload, but  thankfully  everyone around him is too busy worrying about themselves to watch him clamber  .  Eventually  he makes it to his office, where he tosses the books onto the floor. In desperation, he ditches the formality of his desk and flips through the pages on his hands and knees.

He opens one book and reads a passage about the balance of life and death through the Force.  He opens another that describes a Soulmate Bond, or, something sourced from Force energy that ties two souls together . The passage pairs with a diagram, complete with a pair of hands reaching across what seems to be space and time.

Above him, his computer finally chirps with life. Ben scours his email, pouring through months of memos before _finally_ finding it. It’s minimal, and to the untrained eye  perhaps  meaningless, but to him it’s everything.

Snoke had sent an email shortly after their meeting about his relationship with Rey.  And it had never occurred to Ben before, but after hearing that student talk about the Red String of Fate, he remembered . There, in Times New Roman, the bastard mentions it himself. 

_As per our agreement, the document has been disposed of. Shame that the chances of your meeting hadn’t happened upon different circumstances. It seems as though the two of you were bound by a fiery red link. _

_Sick fuckin bastard_ , Ben thinks. _How dare he_ _._ But as gross as the message was, the phrasing was so specific, so particular.

_Fiery red link. _

He opens _The Living Force_ to the passage the students were reading earlier, the one describing the Red String of Fate . 

_Though fabled throughout history... blah blah blah... the Red String of Fate is... blah blah…_

_Come on_, Ben thinks, frustrated.

_ Though the appearance of the String has been a constant topic of discussion, most tales describe it as a physical fabric that wraps around the individuals it chooses…_

Ben looks up to the email again, blinks, and then goes back to reading.

_ ...the last century, reports of strange occurrences where the String  was observed in specific types of photography…_

_Wait_, Ben realizes. _Could that be…?_

He pats his pockets before feeling the familiar rectangle that is his phone, and his stubborn, fat fingertips fumble as they struggle to open his messages  .  Poe, months ago, had sent him a picture that he made some poor bystander take of the four of them singing karaoke together . Ben opens it, and his mouth drops. 

It’s faint, but there.  Slight, red line circles around him and Rey, twirling around the microphone stand and thickening where their hands meet the microphone together . 

Ben blinks again and zooms in on the photo, only for his suspicions to  be solidified  . Then he looks back to Snoke’s email, and to the books at his knees. Why hadn’t he noticed before?  It would explain the feeling, falling so hard for Rey in such a short amount of time, while never questioning it when all he’s done his entire life is question _everything_.  Surely  he’d sense there was something more to this than  just  a fling?  Surely  he’d remember if he’d seen something as outward as a red string around them, right? 

And then, Ben’s chest squeezes in on itself so  tightly  he feels like he’s about to cave in because at that moment he realizes that he actually _has_ seen it before . 

Slowly, he reaches for his wallet, and in the thin pocket behind his I.D., his fingertip touches the polaroid that he’s kept close since everything started. He pulls it out, the once sharp edge now dull due to time and his constant need for a reminder that what they had was real. Ben’s heart lurches when he thumbs the image, as he’s done so many times before.  Two strangers,  blissfully  unaware and unafraid, sharing an  unmistakably  intimate moment in the form of a kiss  .  And,  tightly  bound around them, the thick ropes of a red string, bright and vibrant as if the Force itself was flowing through it .

Ben collapses from his position on his knees to sit on his butt and looks around at the mess in front of him. He’s surrounded by a truth he has tried to avoid for so long, and deep within him blooms a desire to change. He reaches for his phone again and lifts it to his ear.

It rings for a few moments, but as Ben checks his watch, a groggy, aged voice answers. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, Luke, it’s me. Can we talk?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, who do you wish was YOUR soulmate? (I assume Adam Driver is a given here...so... pick someone else lmao) Mine is definitely Chris Evans or like... Dracula hahah
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey finishes her semester at Mos Eisley Academy and gets an unexpected visit from an enlightened Ben.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO IT IS MY BIRTHDAY THEREFORE HAVE THIS GIFT OF A HEA!!! (spoils, but did you really think I'd end it *not* happily?) 
> 
> Mmm also, the smut in this is HEAVY because I haven't seen my boyfriend in like 2 months because of the *thing* that's going on that I will NOT talk about, but, I'm having withdrawals and apparently when that happens I channel that energy into intense smut. So, sorry? Not sorry? You get it ;) 
> 
> I didn't have my lovely beta this time, but I wanted to say thank you to her again for all of her hard work and delightful advice/commentary. I hope you're doing well beautiful LoveofEscapism! <3 
> 
> So, without further ado, enjoy the ending of this fic from Rey's perspective <3

Time moves slowly for Rey. Which is fine, considering it’s the end of the semester and the stress of finals has stripped everything of its normalcy anyway. Slow is fine. Or, it  _ would _ be, if she didn’t spend so much of her time alone, and so acutely aware of it.

Busying herself with work only goes so far. Final essays and internship applications can only take up so much of her time before her brain becomes too heavy to carry.

When she does rest, though, the thoughts that come are always of Ben. Small things, flashing in her mind’s eye like polaroids of their time together. The way his tongue would stick out when he graded papers. Or how his hair would jump around when he enthusiastically complained about a colleague. His hands, how they sailed across the room when he gave a lecture, especially about something he was fascinated with. The way his eyes would crinkle when he laughed. Force, she loved to make him laugh.

_ Stop _ , she reminds herself, as tears slip from her bloodshot eyes and sink into the pillow beneath her.  _ Don’t do this. _ Because with the memory of his face comes that same plundering feeling in her chest, burrowing itself in like a drill.  _ He left you, remember? _

Yes, she remembers. How could she forget?

How could she forget the feel of his fingers paired with the hot steam of a shower, when her fingers are no longer enough to satisfy her? Or how about in lecture, when her throat swells shut because Dr. Holo mentioned her empathy for the students taking his final? Or when she takes the shuttle home, and the wrong song plays in her earphones again? How could she forget it? How could she possibly forget him?

_ School _ , she used to think.  _ Work _ . An internship, which would hopefully lead to better work. Anything and everything to become immersed in,  _ obsessed _ with, just so that she could breathe again.

Right now, she’s immersing herself in Gray’s Physiology. It started as a joke, something she heard her roommate Rose rave on about nonsensically until she agreed to watch it. Three seasons of on-call room sex and unrealistic surgeries later, however, she was nothing short of obsessed.

She  _ should _ have stopped as soon as she found out the main couple of the show would entail an arrogant attending and his stubborn intern. She should have closed Interflix, told Rose the show was absolute rubbish, and went on with her studies. But she found that when she watched the dynamic that closely mirrored her own, she hoped for them. Somewhere even deeper, she hoped for herself, too.

Tonight she finds herself watching again, as a little treat for turning in her last essay. Rain pours hard outside and it’s easy to pretend that she’s in Kamino, just like the show. Though this rainstorm is a little intense for Kamino-standards (for Tatooine-standards, it’s an absolute catastrophe). A clap of thunder booms through the over-priced and over-crowded apartment and threatens her internet. Melinda Gray’s face stutters on her laptop screen, the picture disassembling into pixelated chaos.

“ _ Pick me! Choose me! Love me! _ ” the sound glitches harshly.

A cry of anguish comes from the room next to hers. Apparently, Rose is also having connectivity issues. “Is your WiFi working?” she calls from next door.

“Sort of,” Rey replies truthfully.

“Ugh!” Another cry of torment. “The ONE rainstorm we get this year, and it has to be from the bowels of Poseidon himself?”

“I think you mean Zeus,” Rey adds while assaulting her browser’s refresh button.

“Whoever the fuck, they can eat me!” Rose storms into the kitchen, her small yet powerful feet stomping on their fake-wood floors. “I have finals to study for!”

“Weren’t you taking your break just now?” Rey asks. It was, in fact, Rose’s third “break” of the night.

“I was  _ going _ to study right after!” Her voice is muffled by what is most likely a store-bought brownie. “Ridiculous!”

Another roaring thunderclap later, the electricity falters. Rey watches the twinkling lights in her room flicker and fade, lighting up her superhero posters and abstract art in smooth, golden tones.

_ Twinkling lights, superheroes, stuffed animals. A girl’s room, not a woman’s. _

Maybe Ben wants someone older. Someone more mature, she thinks as she clutches her skinny arms and small breasts. Someone  _ fuller _ .

Her heart grows heavy again, the pull of her sorrow dragging her deeper into her lumpy mattress. Her hands dive under her pillows and pat around for her phone, because it’s been at least fifteen minutes since she last checked it. When she pulls it out, the brightness makes her wince.

Okay, three minutes.

No notifications, of course, save for some emails regarding finals. She opens her idle messages app and does  _ not _ look at the unanswered conversation at the bottom of the page. Instead, she opens Finn’s.

Two weeks prior, Finn had told her that Poe couldn’t get a hold of Ben. That  _ yes, he’d try again _ and  _ no, she’s not being annoying _ . Then, a few days later, the same response except there was a lack of reassurances about her persistence. Last Friday, when she asked again, he replied with more of the same, and she felt lost.

_ No, Rey, nothing new. Sorry. _

Now Rey types out another message, in hopes that maybe Ben just needed a moment away from the world, and maybe if he talked to Poe, then maybe…

She deletes the message. Then, she starts punching in another one describing how she doesn’t care anymore and that,  _ actually _ , if Poe does get a hold of him don’t tell her, because she doesn’t want to know.

Rey almost presses the ‘send’ button this time but ends up deleting everything again. With a long, monotonous sigh, she closes the app and tosses the phone across the bed. It slides towards the edge, teasing her with a slight hesitation before slipping off and  _ thumping _ on the floor. Rey groans again, not able to find a hint of motivation to pick it up.

With her eyes closed, she thinks a silent and assumedly unheard prayer.

Suddenly a rapid, thunderous sound hammers at their front door. Rey tenses, her eyes snapping open from instinct, then relaxing when her logic blames the sound of the storm.  _ Probably just palm branches or something, blown recklessly in the wind _ . She closes her eyes again and tries to ignore it, focusing all of her mental strength on fading to a dreamier place.

The sound keeps knocking, only louder now and paired with something that makes her entire body freeze.

“Rey!”

She sits up straight, keening all of her energy into her hearing as if that would make it better somehow. Silence holds the next few seconds unbearably tense, but after a moment more…

“Rey! Open up!”

She flies from her bed, scampering down the hall towards Rose in the kitchenette, who stands with fear in her eyes and a bite-sized brownie between her teeth.

“Rey!”

She can hear it clearly now. That voice, it’s Ben. Her stomach twists urgently in her chest, nestling up in her throat…

Rose makes for the baseball bat hidden behind the fridge. Rey stops her, a gentle hand on her arm in assurance.

“It’s okay,” she says, though she barely believes it herself. As much as Rey wants to run to the door and into his arms, she’s terrified. What else could he want, how much more could he hurt her? She’s not sure she wants to know.

But she has to find out, doesn’t she?

Rey takes a deep breath and approaches the door, mustering every ounce of courage as she turns the doorknob and pulls it towards her.

All of that strength crumbles as soon as she sees him. She’s seen him for weeks; remembering him, yearning for him, dreaming of him. But to see him now, standing only an arm’s length away, she’s confounded. Bemused. Awestruck. He’s  _ soaked _ , first of all, looking like he had just climbed out of a pool with the way that his wet clothes stick and sag on his skin. His arms are pressed to his chest, clutching a briefcase and a handful of books like his life depends on them. Water drips from the ends of his hair and falls on them. Oh, his  _ beautiful _ hair. It hangs into his eyes, which are wild, bloodshot, and blinking rapidly to push out the rainwater that’s dripping into his sight. When she opens the door, Ben’s out of breath and frustrated. But, as soon as he sees her, the eagerness in his eyes is replaced by something else. Something more sentimental, more cherished, and born of awe.

Force, she wants to hold him.

“I have to show you something,” he states. Determined, like at the beginning of a lecture. His gaze briefly flickers inside, then back to her.

“Did you drive here?” Rey asks, not seeing his car on the street.

“I...ran,” he answers, as if just now realizing it.

She ponders for a moment, wondering if she should keep him standing out in the rain because he damn well deserves it. But then, a lightning strike speckles the sky (perhaps Zeus is really at play) and she opens the door wider to let him in.

Ben barges through and immediately splays his books on her living room floor. As she presumed, they’re waterlogged and soggy, but his hands flip determinedly to pages tabbed by brightly colored pieces of paper. When he pops open his briefcase, water spritzes onto her toes.

“Where is…” he trails off, searching through piles of loose papers and cursing under his breath.

“Ben,” Rey begins, feeling her voice begin to crack.

“No, no hold  _ on _ , I almost...where the  _ fuck _ is it?”

He keeps searching, and Rey can feel the uneasiness in her stomach begin to rise higher. She blots a tear with the back of her hand as he continues pouring through scrambled papers.

“Ben, I think you should leave,” she mutters.

“Here! Fuck! I found it!” Ben shoots up from the floor, a single piece of paper in his hand. When he offers it to her, she cautiously takes it. The ink is smudged and the paper is wrinkled, but Rey recognizes the page. It’s ripped from a textbook she studied, a replica of the one sitting on her bookcase at that very moment.  _ The Living Force. _

Rey looks up from the page to Ben. She doesn’t know what expression she’s giving, but from the way his twists with worry, she can’t imagine it’s good. Ben goes back to his pile and hurriedly hands her another page. Then another. Then a book. And while he does this, he explains.

“I talked to Luke and I read the texts. It’s real, Rey, it’s all real.”

_ What’s real? _ His words jumble in her mind as soon as she hears them. It takes a moment to process. “You talked to your uncle?”

“Yeah, and we actually… that’s beside the point, he said that what I found is possible, and I know it is. I  _ know _ it is, Rey!”

He hands her another paper, this one titled “The Red String of Fate: Modern Day Depictions of a Timeless Legend.”

But it still doesn't make sense. “I don’t understand…”

“The Red String of Fate ties individuals who are influenced by the Living Force,” he recites, still fumbling through his briefcase. “It’s always been thought of as a myth, as something only certain people can see but sometimes…” Ben stands again and hands her his final offering.

When she looks down, a tear slides down her cheek. It’s a photograph, a  _ polaroid _ , to be more precise, of the two of them, kissing underneath New Year’s confetti.

Ben leans in closer, pointing to the confetti that wrapped around them both. “Sometimes it can be captured in a fraction of time, like in a photograph.”

Rey’s eyes narrow at where he’s pointing.

“Can’t you see it?” he asks.

She squints more and,  _ Force _ , he’s fucking right. She  _ can _ see it. It’s terribly faint and would probably be excused by poor exposure or something. But, there is absolutely a small, red, string-like substance twirling around them in the photo.

“Rey, you always said that you felt like there was something  _ more _ between us. And you were right! This- this is a marker of a bond! A…” He stalls, taking a moment and a deep breath before finishing. “A soulmate bond.”

She looks up at him, expecting deception or a laugh or  _ something _ to explain this, but his face is soft. His eyes hide nothing. And the silence that follows is as exhilarating as it is terrifying.

Rey watches Ben glance at her lips. She watches his eyes flicker down her entire face like this was the first time he’d seen her. Maybe, with this new knowledge, it truly was.

A cheerful, synthy tune rings from the kitchen, and both Rey and Ben turn their heads to follow the noise. From around the corner of the kitchen, a bewildered Rose waddles forward. The tune’s coming from the phone in her hand, and she silences it quickly without looking.

“Uh,” she mutters. “Jannah and I are going to Burrito Bell. Do you guys want...anything?” The poor girl winces as she says the last bit.

“Um, no, I’m good,” Rey says. She turns to Ben. “Are you…?”

“I’m good, thanks,” Ben replies. “I’m Ben, by the way.”

“I...know,” Rose says while tenderly tip-toeing through the tense space so that she can get to the front door. She opens it, letting in warm storm air, but before she leaves she adds, “I’ll be gone for a while, just so…you know…”

Ben bites his lip, trying to hold back a smile.

A strike of white-hot embarrassment covers Rey’s back. “Thank you, Rose, we’re fine here!”

Rose winces again and slams the door shut. Another torturous silence fills the air. Thankfully, Ben is the first to break it. “She seems nice.”

Rey nods in agreement. “She is!”

“So this is your apartment,” he says with a hint of intrigue.

“Yep.”

“It smells fantastic in here, by the way.”

“That’s the essential oils,” Rey explains, pointing to a nearby diffuser that’s shaped like a round kitten. “Lavender.”

Ben nods, mentally noting it, and pushes the wet hair out of his face. He looks at her, and all over again she wants to cry.

“I know it’s a lot to take-”

“Ben,” Rey cuts in, warning, the tears already threatening to flow.

“I know,” he agrees. “I know.”

After a moment, when she feels like she can say it confidently, Rey speaks. “You really hurt me, Ben.”

“I know.”

“It’s going to take more than…” She waves a hand over the piles of literature on her floor. “This, to make up for that.” That of course, wasn’t true. Rey had forgiven him the moment she saw him in her doorway. But a small part of her couldn’t forget the weeks of heartbreak.

“I know that, and I’ll fix it. I’ll fix it all for you.”

Stinging tears flow down Rey’s cheeks and she can barely catch air to breathe.

Ben continues. “Please understand, Rey, these weeks without you have been the worst of my life. I can’t do it anymore.” He shakes his head in remembrance and pushes his hair again. “I won't do it. Not unless you ask me to.”

Rey had seen the photos. She’d read the passages. But even without them, she knew he was right about what they were. What they had. She knew it because every time she looked at him, she felt at home. The terrible loneliness that plagued her as a child, that ebbed in her grandfather’s care but tripled with his passing, all of it disappeared when she was with Ben. The Force didn’t have to tell her he was her soulmate, because she already knew it.

“I won’t,” she rasped.

“What?” he asked, confused.

“I won’t ask you to do it. I…” Rey lets the papers fall from her hands and begins to walk towards him. “I don’t want to be without you for another moment. I-” Her voice starts to croak and her words drown in her cries, but before she can fall, Ben sweeps her into his arms.

Even soaked with rainwater, he’s just as warm and strong as she remembers. Rey buries her face into his neck and clings to his broad shoulders. He smells like his body wash, aged mahogany and eucalyptus blooms, and the scent brings her home. When he lifts her, she wraps her legs around his frame, desperate to get as close to him as possible. He pets her hair and cradles her head and she sobs in his arms, feeling them move together as he walks over to the couch.

When they rest on the cushions, she cries as he rubs her back and kisses her hair. He whispers in her ear and tells her how it’s okay, that he’s here and he’s sorry and he’ll never let her go again, but she still sobs and heaves. It’s hard to hold it back because even with each reassurance that comes from his lips she remembers a time when she was excruciatingly alone. She’s furiously upset with him for leaving her, but also unimaginably relieved that he’s in her arms again. It’s an overwhelming cocktail of emotions, and for some reason, they’re all deciding to surface now. But Ben holds her through it all.

Eventually, she tires and the tears stop coming. When Rey lifts herself from his shoulder, Ben still has a hand rubbing her back. He helps her wipe her eyes, and she gives him a half-smile. “I’m sorry. I’m a mess,” she whispers.

“No, don’t say that,” he shushes her. “You’re beautiful, always.”

Rey smiles, and though there aren’t any more tears to push away, he keeps his hands on her face. She leans into his gentle yet supportive touch, so glad to have it after all this time. Then she leans in further, and without hesitation or hindrance, she presses her lips onto his. It’s familiar of course, this was something that was practiced between them. Perfected, even. Yet it also feels entirely new. His lips as they glide over hers, it’s soft and careful yet eager and bright. Its light fuels her like a geyser, brimming with life and energy.

She dives into Ben, opening her mouth and sinking into his. His body rumbles underneath her and pulls her closer. His fingers snake from her jaw to her throat, pressing gently and cautiously on her pulse points. It’s a trick he learned in the past and it works perfectly, as Rey feels a pool of wet warmth bundle in her underwear. Instinct comes and she grinds herself into Ben’s lap, earning another groan from his well-savored mouth. His hands tangle in her hair and pull her even closer, and she bucks again.

Now her skin is wet, sensitive, and throbbing, and she desperately needs to get his shirt off. Fumbling with the buttons, she begins to work as Ben’s hands travel down her back, dipping into the waistband of her shorts and the curve of her hips. The last button pops free, and his fingers wrap around her thong, all while their mouths are still connected.

_ Snap! _

“Oh!” slips from her mouth as a sharp sting spreads over her ass. Ben wraps the thong around his finger again and pulls it high above her shorts.

_ Snap! _

Rey grinds into Ben’s hips as he plays with her underwear, pulling it and letting it go and soothing the reddened skin underneath. Now both of his hands are in under her shorts, massaging her, palming her, and reaching just enough to graze her-

“Ben,” Rey mutters through swollen, bitten lips. She needs and she  _ knows _ he knows what she needs.

“You always want so much,” he breathes into her. “So fast. Let me savor you.”

His hands recede, beginning to climb up underneath her Mos Eisley Academy sweatshirt. His fingers spread between the soft fabric and her heated skin, covering her stomach as they move. They travel upward until they reach the valley between her breasts.

“No bra either? How bad of you,” he purrs, grinning.

Rey grinds into him again and sucks on his tongue. She works it similarly to how she’d suck  _ other _ appendages of his, and she can feel some of his restraint begin to unravel. One of his hands pinches her nipple. A fair form of payback, she gasps as he twists and plays. Ben pushes himself upward and she knows this  _ savoring _ thing won’t last long if she pushes him just right.

“I can feel you already,” she tempts. And she could, he was hard the moment she started moving, but, now his thrusts are becoming increasingly urgent. So she focuses her movements on the familiar shape. “I’ve missed you, it’s not the same without you, not…” she whines for extra effect, “Enough.”

Ben curses.  _ That seemed to do it. _

Suddenly her world is flipped. Or rather,  _ she _ is, because the warmth of his body is gone and she just feels the cool fabric of her couch on her face. Then, his hands at her waist, lifting her hips sky high and kisses up her spine that send crackles of joy all over. He pushes her sweater down, and she helps tug it over her head. Then more kisses, back down her spine and over the hills of her ass. Finally, she feels his broad nose nuzzling between and the unmistakable warmth of his tongue over her shorts.

“Ben!” Rey gasps as he tongues her and nibbles at the skin of her thighs.

“What?” She can feel his breath on her, and his devilish smile.

“No, don’t stop,” she breathes, voice dampened from the pillows, and he happily resumes. This time, he yanks her shorts down so that all that’s left is a black thong, and whispers something she can’t hear. Another snap of the underwear and she whimpers into the pillow. Ben pulls her thong to the side, allowing the cool air to chill her sensitive skin.

Then, nothing, but she hears muffled curses and a belt buckle. And a sharp intake of air.

Ben smacks his cock against her ass. Force, he’s so hard, she can tell just by the way he moves it, and the steady dribble of precum that brings a chill to her exposed skin. He curses again, snaps her thong again, and she can’t help the urge to reach back and  _ feel _ him. His cock is tacky and oozing, especially when she touches it. He’s tensing,  _ pulsing _ , and when she pulls at him, wetness drips over her ass. Feeling devilish herself, she pulls him closer to her and threads his cock under the thong, pushing it down into her soft skin. Then, she moves.

“Fuck,” Ben groans, as more precum oozes.

He lets her tease him like this for a while, watching her with wild, unrestrained eyes. Suddenly, however, he bends and takes over the movement, thrusting into the softness of her backside. He licks her ear and sucks on the lobe. It makes her heart race.

She just likes to let him ravage her, sometimes. She likes the ravenous, desperate look in his eyes when she brings him towards the edge and the unaware twists of bliss when he finally falls over it. It makes her feel like she could conquer the world. And she’s pretty sure that if she asked for the world, he would give her it.

_ But… if Rose were to come home...to this... _

“Ben?” she asks.

Besides, he barely fits on her couch.

* * *

It turns out that he also barely fits on her bed. But,  _ Force _ , how utterly  _ divine _ does he look in her bedroom lighting? Rey ponders this as she straddles him with their hands intertwined. He’s like a Greek statue, or an anime character, built so massively and yet so  _ beautifully _ , there’s no way he can be real. And yet, here he is in front of her (well, below her) dripping sweat and hanging on her every word. The twinkly lights haze over him like angelic glow, bringing out the rosey tones of his blushed skin. So soft, so supple and yet so firm.

She silently thanks the Maker for her birth control and heartily decides that she’s going to lick every inch of him before they’re through.

Rey shifts from her knees to her feet, hovering herself over Ben’s cock and aligning it to her entrance. She breaks one of their handholds to help push him in, and when she does, Ben’s tight grasp gets even tighter. That delicate stretch, she thought she knew it well by now, but how could she have forgotten just how  _ delicious _ it really was? Rey can’t help the soft cry that escapes her lips when Ben fills her, and she can’t help but clench when she hears a weak cry of his own. She begins to move her hips up and down, slowly at first so she can get used to his size.  _ Fuck, his size.  _ When their hips meet, she feels as if she’s going to burst, and when she lifts herself away again, she craves him even more. But as her wetness coats him and her need grows desperate, Rey quickens her pace.

Under her, Ben has been reduced to murmured curses cut short by staggered breathing. He won’t stop staring at where they’re joined, except for moments where his intense gaze flickers up to hers. It’s moments like these where she feels like tipping over. Ben keeps one hand locked with hers, but, the other roams free and greedily. One minute, he’s helping her bounce, the next, he’s spanning over her thighs, or caressing a nipple. He moves erratically like he can’t decide which part of her he wants to touch more, and she can’t get enough of him.

His thumb lands on her clitoris, rubbing it gently with the momentum of Rey’s hips. Rey cries out and her toes clench. That feeling before? Now she races towards it, as a hyper and chilling kind of pleasure spreads through her cunt. Her breathing shortens, her chest tightens, and every inch of sweat-soaked skin feels as if it’s on fire. Or, covered in ice. Perhaps some exquisite sensation of both.

“Ben,” is the only thing that she knows how to say. Over and over again, as his thumb circles her clitoris and his cock stretches her blissfully. She can hear Ben saying something, probably praise, and his thumb works faster. Then, with the right hint of pressure, Rey comes crashing down. The orgasm surges through her, shaking her muscles and waking her skin as every pump of Ben’s cock entices more sparks of pleasure from within.

Rey collapses over him, nestling in the space between his neck and her pillow. Her breathing is labored and heavy, and Ben picks up where she left off, thrusting rhythmically into her blushing cunt. She can hear his murmured praise that pairs with the sweet aftershocks that flicker from his thrusts. Ben squeezes her hand, and she weakly squeezes back.

Ben kisses her temple. “I want to see you, come here.”

He flips them over so that Rey is the one resting on the bed pillows while Ben thrusts. He wraps her legs around his waist, then steadies himself on one elbow, right next to her temple. Ben pets her hair, caresses her jaw, and kisses her forehead. He plows and kisses her again as his breath grows rough. Rey’s orgasmic stupor subsides, and though she feels incredibly pleased and even more tired, she reaches up to touch Ben’s face. Because it feels good, oh, Force it feels good, but she knows how it could feel better.

“Ben,” she barely whispers. Apparently, the orgasm took her voice, as well.

His answer is more a grunt than anything else. “Yeah?”

“Can we…”

“Are you hurt?”

Rey tries to move her legs. They’re unreliable and weak. “No, no. I just think…” She’s able to thread one leg through, up above them, next to his neck.

“What are you doing?” he asks, a hint of irritation in his tone as he stops moving.

Now, the other leg. She rests them on his shoulders, close to his red-hot ears. “There,” Rey whispers, their new position finalized. And his next thrust is impossibly tight.

Ben growls when his cock pushes through. When he pulls back, he hisses and digs his teeth into the skin above her ankle. It makes Rey jolt.

“I’m sorry, I just,” he thrusts again, and his breath hitches. “This is deadly.”

Rey moans, pleased, and coaxes him deeper. Force, the face he makes is heaven-sent. And they start a steady rhythm. Ben lets out another rumble. Rey loves making him feel this way, but he’s penetrating her so deeply, it brings tears to her eyes. She can’t help but whine and mewl as he drives into her throbbing cunt, her cries turning wet as the emotion takes over. His hips jolt forward and plunge a little deeper than usual.

Ben curses again and she knows he’s close, as his thighs begin to tense and his movements are no longer steady. Rey pulls his chin down and tells him to look at her, that she wants him to come and that she wants to see it.

And when she does, he explodes. His face contorts in something between anguish and delight and he grunts atrocious words into the space between them. Rey feels his thick cock pulse inside, and a warmth follows. Ben shudders and flips her legs to the side before collapsing over her, billowing and heaving like a beast into her collarbone. Eventually, his torrent exhales calm into soft breathing, and Rey closes her eyes, a natural, relieved smile curling on her face.

* * *

After a proper restroom break and a quick rinse in the shower, they rest on her bed. Rey’s extra bathrobe barely covers Ben’s thighs, but he doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest. The thunderstorm continues to rage outside, though now it’s more peaceful and sated.

“Can I say something?” Ben says after a long silence.

Rey’s well content on his chest. “Sure.”

“I-well, I...Um…”

She perks up. “Yes?”

“Uh,” Ben clears his throat. “This is a lot harder with you here.”

Rey’s heart races as a distant memory rings in her mind. He wants to tell her something.

“It’s okay, Ben. You can tell me.”

“Rey,” he pauses, searching for the right words. “I want you to know that this…  _ soulmate _ thing we have, it’s not the only reason why I came here tonight.”

Rey sits up from his chest so she can see him. She holds his hand and squeezes it, for reassurance. “What do you mean?”

It takes a moment, but when he does speak, his next words are full of promise.

“Well, Rey, I love you. I think I’ve loved you for a very long time.” He smiles, and she feels the air around her still.

It’s not what she was expecting. Sure, the soulmate profession was equivalent to a love profession but…somehow this feels different. It makes her giddy and delirious.

He continues. “And I was wrong to leave you. I knew it then, but, I really know it now. And I-“

“I know you have,” she cuts in, too excited to let him finish. “I love you, too.”

“You do?” He seems bewildered. It makes her laugh.

“Yes!” She puts a hand on his awestruck face and confirms it. “For a long time.”

They kiss, and it feels separate from everything else they’ve done because it’s an affirmation of everything that’s between them. From the beginning, when they were just two strangers at a party, to two individuals who found each other in the most unfortunate of positions. Then when they were two lovers who tried to break a bond woven by the Force and failed miserably to forget one another. And finally now, with everything realized and said, they could be who they were meant to be: two soulmates incandescently happy to be together.

And as they share this passionate kiss, a heavenly thought blooms in Rey’s mind, one that she knows she’ll never forget.

_ You’re not alone. Not anymore, and never again. _

* * *

Rey wakes up to harsh sunlight and gentle sounds of something tapping. No, typing. Someone’s typing on a keyboard. She struggles to open her eyes and sees Ben’s massive frame curling over her small laptop.

“What are you doing?” she asks groggily, stretching her stiff muscles and kicking her sheets.

“Good morning,” he responds, though he doesn’t stop typing. “I’m writing a letter.”

“Oh? Quitting your job?” she jokes and stifles a yawn.

“Actually, yes.”

Rey shoots up like a rocket. It’s too fast, and her brain throbs.

“What? Ben, you can’t quit your job.”

“Well,” he says cheerfully, and she hears a soaring sound come from her computer. “I just did.”

“What?!” she screeches, grabbing the laptop and searching the mail history. Yep, there in the ‘Sent’ folder. Addressed to Dean Snoke himself.

“Ben…”

“I wanted to quit when Snoke showed me Krennic’s picture, but then he threatened your expulsion and-”

“He threatened my expulsion?” Rey’s mouth suddenly goes dry.

“That’s why I broke it off.” He turns to her. “I couldn’t ruin your future. Not for me.”

Rey’s chest feels like it’s collapsing. “You broke up with me because you didn’t want me to get expelled?”

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t tell me because-”

“Because you’d never let me do it if you knew why.” Silently, she agrees. Ben swallows as if the next thing he wanted to say pains him. “I needed to leave without any reason. I needed you to hate me.”

That twists her stomach. “I could never hate you, Ben.” She reaches up and touches his cheek, trying to force as much love into the embrace as she can. “Never.”

He nods, and she kisses him. And kisses him. And kisses him again.

But suddenly Ben breaks for air. “You have a lot of emails, I think you should check them.”

Rey brushes this off and reaches for his mouth again. But Ben’s adamant.

“No, really Rey I think you should look at this one. From uh, Corellian something.”

Her blood freezes. “Corellian Engineering Corporation?” She jolts forward and snatches her laptop from his hands.

“Yeah, that’s it! I didn’t read it because I didn’t want to impose but they looked important.”

Rey immediately clicks on the emails. Her eyes scour hungrily through the text.

** _Congratulations, Ms. Kenobi!_ **

** _We are so excited to welcome you to the team!_ **

** _Join us in exciting Corellia this spring!_ **

“Oh my god!” Rey squeals. “I got the internship!”

“That’s great!” Ben says as he rubs her back. “Where is it?”

“It’s in Corellia. It starts in January.” Her eyes wander sheepishly, and her voice softens. “What are we going to do?”

“Well, if it’s in Corellia, we’ll go to Corellia,” Ben responds clearly. He notices her hesitation and slips his hand under her chin. “Rey, I literally just quit the only reason I would need to stay. If you want to go to Corellia, that’s where we’ll go.”

“Are you sure? What about your job?”

“I’ll find something there. Besides, I have some work to do on myself anyway. I may have promised a certain Skywalker that I’d try his teachings...again.”

She shakes her head in disbelief. “You’re kidding!”

He chuckles. “No, not kidding. I mean, how can I possibly deny the Force when it brought me to you?”

Rey beams, practically vibrating with bliss, and they share an embrace that could last a lifetime.

* * *

They spend the rest of the day bonding over the ridiculousness of Gray’s Physiology and Indian food until Ben remembers he has one more email to write.

It’s for his students, and it reads as follows:

** _Dear Students,_ **

** _May I begin by stating how thankful I am to have shared such a successful semester with you all. I have had the immense pleasure of watching many of you grow not only as students but also as scholars. Your inherent drive for learning is something to behold._ **

** _That being said, I regret to inform you that this will be my last semester at Mos Eisely Academy._ **

** _Please check your current scores, as I have violated my own syllabus and dropped your lowest test grade. This should inflate your grades considerably, but, if that is not the case, I have more news. My final has been replaced by an optional essay. It is participation-based and valued as much as one test score. Should you choose to take part, please use the time in class to write a minimum of one page about your goals, both career and personal. I have regrettably spent a good part of my life unaware of what’s truly important to me. Now, blissfully, I find myself overcome with brilliant and wonderful purpose. I can only wish the same for you all._ **

** _May the Force be with you,_ **

** _Professor Solo_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!!
> 
> I really can't tell you how much it means to me when I see that you guys liked reading this. I know I fell in love with writing it! This was my first modern AU (or professor/student AU or soulmate AU) and I'm so happy we finally got to that HEA! (I could do a lil epilogue about Ben and Rey's next New Year's celebration... but I can hear my other WIP's screaming at me hehe)
> 
> What was your college/university/current netflix binge? I watched a LOT of Grey's Anatomy to deal with Organic Chemistry lol and I will always cry over Denny. : (


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